Dangerous Mountain Rescue
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Christy Barritt
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HarlequinONE
“Bella! Can you hear me?”
Erin Lansing paused at the edge of the trail and surveyed the wintery mountain vista in front of her.
She knew her search efforts were most likely futile. She’d already explored this area twice with no luck.
There were still no signs of her daughter anywhere on this mountain.
As she stood at the overlook and caught her breath, investigators were gathering a team to search for Bella. But Erin couldn’t wait for them. Their process was too slow. There was too much time to lose, time she couldn’t afford to let slip away.
Would law enforcement drag their feet on purpose? Maybe to get revenge on Erin or to show their loyalty to her ex-husband, Liam?
Ever since Liam had disappeared a year ago, she’d been the number-one suspect in the eyes of his colleagues. Just because she and Liam had had a public fight right before he’d vanished didn’t mean Erin was guilty.
Liam had been a cop. But instead of looking at people he’d arrested as potential suspects, investigators had focused all their attention on her.
Had the person responsible for her ex-husband’s disappearance decided to come after Bella also?
A rock formed in Erin’s gut at the thought. She didn’t even want to think about it.
All she wanted was to find Bella.
A sixteen-year-old shouldn’t be out in this wilderness alone. The vast Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina, with its deep valleys, steep cliffs and wild animals was no place for an amateur. To make matters worse, Bella hadn’t taken her anxiety medication with her.
Erin knew how Bella got when she didn’t take her medicine.
She would be beside herself. Close to panic. Jittery.
Tears pressed at Erin’s eyes as she glanced at the scenic view in front of her one more time.
But there was nothing to indicate Bella had been there. No clues as to what had happened after her daughter had left for school yesterday morning. All she knew was that Bella had never made it to school and that her car had been found at the parking lot near the trailhead.
Bella had never shown any interest in hiking the mountain before. She wouldn’t have come out here on purpose, would she?
Erin heaved her backpack up higher and turned to continue down the trail. She’d keep searching until she found Bella. She was even prepared to sleep in this wilderness if that’s what it came down to.
But the one thing she wouldn’t do was sit back and wait. Not anymore.
The old Erin had been passive. People had walked all over her. But after adopting Bella six years ago, she’d become a new person. A stronger person.
As her phone buzzed, Erin glanced down, surprised to have any reception out here.
The message on her screen made her blood run cold.
You deserve this.
She sucked in a breath.
Who could have sent this?
Someone evil—that was who. Someone who wanted to put Erin in her place. To let her know she was a villain.
Could this person have taken Bella?
A surge of concern and anger tangled together inside her.
This was becoming even more of a nightmare than she’d thought possible.
Quickly, she typed back.
Where is she? What do you want from me?
She waited a few minutes, but there was no response.
Disappointment clutched her, but she pushed it aside. She needed to keep moving.
Erin continued down the narrow trail that cut along the side of the mountain. She sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the vague scent of pine and old leaves left over from the autumn purge.
The trees around her were fragile from the winter. Branches seemed to reach for her, their sharp edges grabbing her hair and jacket. And the air was so cold out here that every breath hurt her lungs.
Was Bella out here somewhere? Was she cold? What had she worn when she’d left for school yesterday? Erin had already left for work, so she didn’t know. What about food? Was her daughter hungry?
The questions made Erin’s temples pound, made worry swirl in her gut until she wanted to throw up.
She hadn’t passed anyone in the two hours since she’d been out here, even though this trail was normally popular, even in the winter months. But today, clouds threatened freezing rain or snow and kept most of the hikers away. Precipitation, thirty-degree temperatures and slippery slopes didn’t make for ideal hiking conditions.
Erin heard a stick crack nearby and paused.
The hair on her neck rose as she turned.
She scanned the wooded landscape around her but saw no one.
So what had caused that sound? Could it have been an animal?
That made the most sense.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down her fear.
But as she continued walking, her fears escalated, fueled by her imagination.
What if Bella had met somebody online and come here to talk face-to-face? Erin had heard stories about things like that happening. Even though she wanted to believe Bella would never take that risk, she couldn’t say with one hundred percent certainty that her daughter wouldn’t.
Erin rubbed her temples, wishing she could clear the fog from her head. She needed to be sharp if she was going to hike out here. Distraction could get her killed, especially with the craggy rocks, steep trails and slippery passes coming at her from every angle.
She glanced down, watching her steps as rocks rose and jutted out from the soil on the path. A small stream cut down the side of the mountain and trickled in front of her. The moisture and freezing conditions made every step treacherous.
Just last week, someone had died after slipping off a cliff on one of these trails. The man’s death had been all over the news, a grim reminder of how dangerous nature could be.
At the thought, more images of Bella filled Erin’s mind and she bit back a cry.
Please, Lord. Watch over her. Please! I’m begging You.
She prayed nothing had happened to her girl. Bella had problems—more than her fair share for someone her age, it seemed. But she didn’t deserve this.
Another stick broke in the distance.
Erin’s lungs froze as she stopped and turned around.
Somebody else was out here. She felt certain of it.
Glancing ahead, she tried to measure how safe the upcoming section of the trail was. When she’d come this way earlier, she’d turned around before continuing through this section. She’d been afraid to go any farther.
A narrow path stretched against the cliff face. If she continued, this part of the hike would be challenging. Maybe even life-threatening.
But if she turned around to head back, she could be confronted by whoever shadowed her.
As she heard another stick crack, closer this time, Erin knew she only had a few seconds to make a choice.
She let out a long breath. For Bella’s sake, she had to persist.
Erin rolled her shoulders back before continuing down the trail. She would need to move quickly but carefully.
She hit the first part of the narrow pass without problems—and without hearing any other mysterious sounds behind her.
Just as she reached the end of the stretch, another noise filled the air.
The sound of heavy footsteps rushing toward her.
As she turned to see what was happening, hands rammed into her back.
Then she began falling down the steep rock face into the valley below.
“I’m going to need you to give this everything you’ve got, boy.” Dillon Walker knelt in front of his dog, Scout, and rubbed his head.
The border collie/St. Bernard mix stared back at him, his soulful brown eyes giving every indication that the canine had understood each word Dillon said. The two of them had worked together uncountable hours in order to reach this level of bonding.
Dillon rose and gripped Scout’s lead as they prepared to head down the steep mountain trail stretching beside them. As a brisk winter wind swept around them, Dillon pulled his jacket closer. Scout also had on a thick orange vest with “Search and Rescue” on the side.
The temperature had dipped below freezing, which would make the trails both slippery and treacherous. Those conditions also made it more urgent to find Bella Lansing sooner rather than later.
“I appreciate you coming out here to do this.” Park Ranger Rick Manning appeared beside him, his breath frosting as soon as it hit the frigid air. “I know it’s been a while and that you gave up this line of work.”
Dillon held back a frown. “I’m only doing this as a personal favor to you.”
Dillon had been a state police officer for nearly a decade before making a career change two years ago. Now, he trained officers on how to be expert K-9 handlers. He taught others so they wouldn’t make the mistakes he had. He lived with guilt every day because of those very oversights.
“I wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t for the snowstorm headed this way.” Rick nodded toward the gray sky above. “We don’t have much time, and you are the best K-9 handler I know.”
“Some people might argue that point.” Dillon frowned as memories tried to pummel him. Accusations. Truths.
“You’re the only one who’s inclined to argue.” Rick lowered his voice. “No one but Laura blames you for what happened to Masterson, you know.”
Dillon didn’t acknowledge his friend’s words. Instead, he readjusted the straps of the backpack he’d filled with water, protein bars and dog treats. He wanted to be prepared for anything while they were out here.
A team of rangers would accompany Dillon and Scout in their search efforts.
A teen was missing. She was believed to be out here in the vast wilderness of the Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina, and they needed to find her.
This was what Dillon and Scout had trained to do. The two made a great team.
But whenever Dillon had to utilize his dog in this way, it was never good news.
Not only was the situation precarious because of the missing teenager, but forecasters were calling for snow tomorrow. If Bella was out there, they needed to find her now.
“We’re just waiting for Benjamin to show up,” Rick said. “I’d like you to take the lead.”
Dillon shook his head. “I’m not law enforcement anymore.”
“It doesn’t matter. You know what you’re doing. You know these trails—far better than the rest of us,” Rick said.
Thankfully, Benjamin strode up just then, giving Dillon an easy out in the conversation.
Dillon didn’t want to be in charge. However, he’d do whatever it took to find this girl.
He glanced behind him at the parking lot. An ambulance waited there. Paramedics needed to be on call in case the team found Bella in an injured state. Dillon hoped that wasn’t the case. He hoped the teen was simply lost but unharmed.
Please Lord, give her a happy ending. I can’t handle another replay of Masterson.
Masterson was another hiker Dillon had set out to find. Only there hadn’t been a happy ending for that search and rescue mission.
Dillon swallowed hard as he focused on the trail ahead.
The woods surrounding him were part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and people came from all over the East Coast to experience the rolling peaks of the national forest, which boasted several different waterfalls. The area was simply breathtaking, even now at winter’s end when the branches were bare.
As Dillon prepared himself to start, a gloved ranger brought a bag over. He held it toward Scout and opened the seal at the top.
Bella’s sweatshirt was inside.
Scout took a deep sniff then lifted his nose to the air, trying to find the girl’s scent.
Her beat-up Honda Civic had been found in a lot not far from here. This trail seemed the most logical as to where she would be.
Scout tugged at the lead before pulling Dillon along the trailhead into the threadbare forest. As he did, Dillon mentally reviewed the case.
Bella Lansing had been missing for twenty-six hours. She’d left home for school yesterday morning but had never returned, nor had she shown up for classes. The rest of the day had been spent calling friends and searching hangouts.
There had been no leads.
Then a ranger had found her car in the lot near these woods this morning. That’s when the rescue had been organized.
She wasn’t an experienced hiker, nor was she familiar with this terrain. According to the report, Bella had never shown any interest in exploring these mountains. She had no survival training, but her winter coat had been missing from the house. Dillon hoped that meant she was wearing it. She’d need it out here in these elements.
Scout’s actions indicated the girl had traveled this trail. What Dillon didn’t know was if she’d been alone. As one of the more popular hikes in the area, any footprints would have been concealed at this point.
The rangers working the case would figure out the details. Dillon’s only job, along with Scout’s, was to find Bella.
“You know who Bella’s mom is, don’t you?” Rick asked quietly as they started down the trail.
Dillon shook his head. “No idea. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if she’s a criminal or a philanthropist, either way, her daughter deserves to be found.”
“I should have expected that reaction from you.” Rick shook his head and let out a light chuckle. “You’re a good man, Dillon Walker.”
He didn’t know about that. He only hoped this search didn’t end tragically.
These mountains were no place for the inexperienced. He’d seen too many tragedies happen here. Tragedies that had changed people’s lives forever.
Just like they’d changed his.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he continued down the path. Scout was on the scent—and that was a good sign. With every minute that passed, Bella’s trail could fade with time and the elements.
If Dillon had known the girl was missing earlier, he would have advised the team to start at sunrise. Instead, they’d already wasted a good three hours of daylight.
What had his friend meant when he’d asked if Dillon knew who Bella’s mom was? It truly didn’t matter to him, but he was curious. When Dillon had been a state cop, he’d been headquartered an hour and a half from this area. He knew little about the small towns dotting these mountains.
They continued down the trail, the miles passing by.
As he reached an area of the hike known as Traveler’s Bend, he tugged Scout to a halt.
What was that sound?
“Dillon?” Rick looked at him.
He raised a finger in the air, indicating for everyone to be quiet.
That’s when he heard it again.
“Please, help me!” A soft voice floated from below.
Was it Bella? Had they found the girl?
As if Scout sensed something was wrong, the canine began to bark at the edge of the path.
Dillon hurried toward the slippery, rocky cliff and peered down below.
A woman clung to a branch there, terror on her face.
It wasn’t Bella. Dillon had seen the girl’s picture.
But this woman clearly needed help.
“Stay right there!” he yelled. “We’ll get you!”
The woman opened her mouth to speak. But as she did, the rocks beneath her crumbled and she began plummeting to the ground below.
