Page 80 of Mountain Defender
She couldn’t see him, but his reply came from a few feet away from her.
“Because the world doesn’t need more people poking around in other people’s business.”
“Does that mean you’re involved in the murder of Kelsey Cameron? And her boyfriend?”
From what she could see through the crack in the duct tape over her eyes, he didn’t budge from his crouched position and seemed to be staring into the flames. She wasn’t trained in talking people down from the ledge or dealing with hostage situations. Especially whenshewas the hostage. But a man who would capture a detective was a desperate one.
Her logical mind was already profiling him and what she was guessing at scared the hell out of her.
Since he wasn’t looking at her, she began to work her wrists, wiggling them back and forth, trying to find a way to free herself. She did know how to get herself free of zip ties, and everybody has seen the videos. But with so little leverage, it would still take her a few tries.
She needed to keep him facing away from her and talking.
“You know there’s a tracker on my SUV. It’s a government vehicle. They know my location at all times.” She wasn’t at all sure that was the truth, but it might buy her some time.
He laughed. “I know government vehicles, lady.”
Her already icy blood grew more frigid.
When she was uncertain of herself, she fell back on her smart mouth. Just like she did when she first met Bryson. “Are you a pissed-off postman? I didn’t think they kidnapped women, just grabbed a weapon and climbed to the roof of a building.”
His shoulders hunched forward. Could he be laughing? Or recoiling—drawing up in preparation to whirl and strike her again?
“Maybe you were a businessman. One of those family guys who goes out for milk and takes off. You’ve been in the wilderness for the last twelve years. Your kids are grown. Your wife moved on. And you’ve got regrets.”
His head lowered a bit but he didn’t respond.
She went on. “You’ve been setting forest fires all over for years. That last one—the big one in California that left thousands of families homeless—was your doing. And you’re just biding your time, waiting for the melting here in the Cascades and for things to start drying out so you can light another.”
She had her head tipped back all the way to see through the small crack in the tape. He lifted a hand and rubbed it over his nape.
“But if you know me…then you know I investigate cold cases. So what could I be close to finding out? Something you don’t want me to know. Did the Army Rangers turn you away? Failed to pass their tests? You don’t want to go to jail. I mean, no one does. But youreallydon’t think you’ll survive imprisonment—”
He jerked to his feet, sending some sticks of firewood toppling over the floor. His boots stomped across her vision and next thing she knew, the door opened.
A rush of cool mountain air hit her face before he slammed the door shut again.
She was alone.
But for how long? First thing she did was raise her bound hands and pry at the edge of the tape over her eyes. When she got a small corner, she yanked hard and fast.
Pain slashed across her face like a hot whip and she felt a bunch of eyelashes rip out of her lids. A scalding gasp left her.DAMN, that hurt!
Now that she was able to see, she glanced at her bonds. What did that guy in the video she watched do to free himself from zip ties again? His knee—he broke it over his knee.
She slammed her bound wrists over one. The tough plastic flexed but didn’t snap. Biting down on her lip, she tried again, bringing her arms over one knee with all the power fueled by adrenaline in her system.
How long before he returned? She tried twice more and failed. The third time, the tie snapped.
Relief flooded her, but she didn’t have time for a victory dance. She couldn’t dance anyway—her legs were bound to the chair. She looked around for some sharp object within reach to cut the bonds.
Her stare settled on the lighter on the table.
She was four feet away. With a hard shove off her boots, she brought the chair legs off the floor, only moving forward an inch or two.
Bryson’s voice filled her head.You can do better than that, princess.
She shoved upward and bounce-scooted the chair a foot, then another and another. When she was close enough to lean forward, she snagged the lighter. As she held the flame to the plastic, the noxious smell hit her nose, but in seconds she had her legs free too.