LITMIR.BIZ

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if he calls keep the answers nice and general.”

      Strict laughed at me, “You’re more concerned about worrying Rusty than you are about getting shot at. Take care up there.”

      “I will.”

      I went back to the group. “Okay, first things first. I need to see these guys’ tracks. Anybody know where a good example of them can be found?”

      We headed up the mountain cross-country. It was rough going. These mountains are pretty much all up and down. To get some place out in the middle of them by trail could take days on foot. I hoped there was a quick way to reach the last known sign. I didn’t want to spend the day hiking and then start the track.

      The officers went first, fanning out in front of us. A mile and half from base camp they stopped. One of the officers approached me and he held out his hand.

      “Kent Jacobsen,” he said. “In case you need to know, I’m your senior partner today.”

      “Cassidy Callahan,” I said shaking his hand.

      “Here’s the best set of tracks we can give you. They only hit this trail for about fifty feet but it’ll give you a feel for the chase.”

      “Give me five minutes,” I said, getting out my sketchbook. I made a quick sketch of all four tracks and noted irregularities on the soles of their shoes, wear marks and general shape. The guys all waited patiently. Victor and Landon were used to this by now. The others paced nervously. I did a quick measurement of the men’s strides and made a mental note.

      “Okay, let me read the trail and then you can take over again.”

      I followed the trail absorbing as much information as I could in fifty feet. These were young men, lightweight and fast. They were running and in some haste. It wasn’t a panic run, I concluded. These men knew where they were going. When their tracks headed off trail I let the officers take over again. They led me up a steep canyon. The top of the canyon was lined with rocks. So that explained Landon’s climbing rope. The officers suddenly stopped and fanned out.

      “Here’s where we lost them.”

      “Did you have a visual?”

      “Nope, look here.”

      I followed and Jacobsen brought me to a spot where the men had scrambled up into the rocks. Shoot. Rock is the worst thing to track over. I went back to the footprints leading to the rocks. The two men were still together and definitely headed up the rocks just like Jacobsen said.

      I stood at the spot where the last footprints were left and studied the rocks for the easiest way up. The guys stood in a knot talking amongst themselves about how best to tackle the rocks at the end of the canyon, which gave me space to work. I appreciated them backing off, but at the same time they weren’t aware of what I was likely to do if left to my own devices. I noticed Landon glance my way every once in a while, just keeping tabs. If any of them knew my tendency to take off on my own it was him.

      If the men we were chasing were on the run, they wouldn’t attempt a difficult climb that could result in a fall. They’d look for the easiest way up. They didn’t have ropes, which meant I shouldn’t need ropes to track them. I chose a likely path and carefully examined the rock in the direction I thought they may have taken. I was looking for anything that confirmed my choice; scratched rocks, scraped lichen… I could see why the guys lost the trail, but it wasn’t hopeless. I pictured myself being chased up this canyon, looking in desperation at the rocks before me. It was a puzzle so I fiddled with the pieces until something clicked. Okay, I thought, if it was me I’d run straight for that crack, chimney climb it to the top and take off running. I walked up to the crack and began my ascent. Maybe there would be tracks at the top. I was nearly to the top when Landon noticed that I was climbing and rushed to the bottom of the rock.

      “Cassidy, what are you doing?”

      “I’m taking the easiest route. The guys we are after didn’t have ropes so they climbed out of here without them. If I find the trail up here I’ll let you know.”

      I finished climbing the crack and paused, knees locked at the top to get a look at where the men would have come out. Bingo. I didn’t see tracks but I saw definite marks that looked like a person had scrambled up the loose dirt at the top. I looked down and spotted loose dirt on the rocks below. I was sure I could pick up a trail somewhere around the top of the canyon. I climbed over the top and found the first set of tracks. The gravely soil up here didn’t help at all. I looked closer. Damn. I cast around in a broad arc around the top of the rock. Oh damn it again. I could only find one set of tracks up here. I started around the side of the top of the canyon finding a spot where the other guy could have come up. I didn’t find any sign so I tried the other direction examining closely the dirt around the top of the canyon. No sign. These guys hadn’t tried to hide their tracks before so I doubted they would start now. Nope, only one guy had made it over the top. Should I follow him? Should I concentrate on the more present danger? I was just lowering myself into the crack to rejoin the group and get some advice when I saw a slight motion to the side of the canyon. I stayed up top, eyes glued to the spot. I didn’t know what to do, I needed some advice but Jacobsen would be put in line for a bullet if I asked him to climb up to me. And if I climbed down I could lose my visual.

      “Jacobsen, 10-66, eight o’clock,” I called out. Suspicious person behind you at eight o’clock. I saw them all freeze and find Jacobsen’s eight o’clock. I had a clean view of everybody from up there. I felt the gun on my belt. Could I shoot the guy if I needed to? I knew I could hit him, but could I bring myself to shoot him? Shit yeah, I could do it. If I had to protect my team, I could do it. Please, I thought, please be unarmed. I found cover and aimed my gun at the suspect, ready in case I was needed. Jacobsen hadn’t spotted him yet. I saw the guy get up like he was going to run but he fell almost immediately. My mind was working a mile a minute piecing together his actions. Then I realized the guy was hurt and hiding out in the brush. He couldn’t climb the rocks and had been left behind. If he had been abandoned in the chase and was armed, he would be forced to shoot. No, I thought, please don’t! I changed my hiding place to keep the guy in sight. Jacobsen noted my movement and followed my line of site, down my arm, down the barrel of my pistol and down to the floor of the canyon. There was brush between the team and the suspect. They fanned out, surrounding the area. The suspect backed away, a desperate look in his eye. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gray object. My vision narrowed to the object. Gun? Nope. If I didn’t know better I’d say that thing looked an awful lot like a hand grenade. What would a civilian be doing with a hand grenade? And what kind was it? There were all kinds of hand grenades these days. Teargas, stun grenades, explosive devices that sent shrapnel flying in every direction… He reached for the pin and instinct took over. I pulled the trigger and felt the gun jump in my hands. I saw the suspect jerk upwards and then fall backwards.

      “Get back! Hit the dirt!” I yelled. I hit the dirt too. If the guy was going to blow himself up I sure as hell didn’t want to watch. After several seconds an explosion rocked the mountain and caused a couple of small rock slides around the little canyon.

      After the noise subsided, the team stood warily. A stark silence told us our suspect was no longer a danger. Victor Gomez and Mike Townsend cautiously parted the branches and Victor signaled to the others that it was safe to move about.

      “Cassidy, are you okay?” Landon called up the cliff.

      “Yeah,” I replied, “I’m okay.”

      “Get down here!” barked Jacobsen.

      I lowered myself into the crack and worked my way back down.

      “Discharging your firearm without permission?”

      “Yeah, I guess so,” I replied, “I’m glad you get to write it up. I didn’t want to have to do it for you.” A short pause. I really needed out of here. The thought of what I had just done was sneaking up on me. I needed action. I needed to put the scene in the canyon behind me and fast. “There’s a trail up top. Do you want me to follow it?”

      I

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