Colorado Abduction - By Cassie Miles & Marie Ferrarella Page 0,51
going to end up with some fancy-pants, city-boy lawyer.”
Burke strode into the kitchen and they both went silent. He was definitely not a fancy-pants. The opposite, in fact. Totally rugged, he exploded with masculine energy.
“Get dressed, Carolyn. We’re going for a ride on the Indian Trail.”
“Give me fifteen minutes.”
He checked his wristwatch, a habit that she’d come to realize was his way of maintaining control. “Ten,” he said.
“Twelve,” she countered.
“Meet me in the barn.”
BURKE STOOD IN THE BARN doorway and tapped the face of his wristwatch. Twelve minutes had passed. He hadn’t really expected Carolyn to get ready so quickly, and he was surprised to see her stride from the house wearing her boots, hat and a canvas jacket. From this distance, her expression was unreadable, but her confidence showed in every swaggering step she took.
Stopping in front of him, she planted her fists on her hips. “Fast enough for you?”
“You’re a speed demon.” He wanted to tell her that she was the sexiest demon he’d ever seen. Naturally beautiful. No need for makeup. Her black lashes and arched brows high-lighted her transparent green eyes.
Carolyn took an energy bar from her jacket pocket and tore off the wrapping. “Mind telling me why I’m here?”
“I need your help to find the cave Sunny mentioned.”
“Ah, yes. Her supposedly romantic hideaway near Cathedral Rocks.” She raised the bar to her mouth. “I don’t know the exact location, but I can take you to the rocks. Why are we going there?”
“It occurred to me that a secluded hideout might be the place where Nicole is being held, being guarded by Butch Thurgood and Richter. I was wrong about that.”
“How do you know?”
“This morning, at first light, I sent the chopper team to investigate. They located the cave. No one was there.”
“Then, why are we—”
“Closer inspection,” he said. He nodded to two uniformed men who were already on horseback, waiting outside the corral. “These deputies are going to run some forensic tests. We might find evidence that Nicole was at the cave.”
The search team in the chopper had also made another discovery. Hovering near the pine trees where Sunny met up with them last night, they spotted a grave-sized mound of earth. Tonight, under cover of darkness, he’d take a team to excavate.
Past experience taught him that the body would be buried at least two-and-a-half feet deep with rocks on top. Otherwise, the coyotes would have dug up the corpse of Barbara Ayers. A check of the FBI database showed that she and her sister, Lisa, were listed as missing persons. The sisters had disappeared over a year ago.
Carolyn chomped on the energy bar. “If we head out on the road, we’ll hook up with the Indian Trail. It’s easy to follow.”
“I don’t want to go that way,” he said. “The SOF could be watching the ranch, and I don’t want them to know what we’re doing.”
“Good point. We can go west, then south over the ridge. That way, we’ll stay on Carlisle land for most of the ride.”
“I knew you’d have an answer.” He turned on his heel and went into the barn where their horses were saddled and ready. After Logan’s threat of revenge, he hadn’t really wanted Carolyn to leave the house. But he needed her help. “GPS isn’t much good in unmarked mountain terrain.”
She went directly to Elvis and stroked his nose. “We’re going for a ride, pal. What do you think about that?”
Elvis bobbed his head. Burke had never seen a horse with so much personality. The bay with a white blaze on his forehead was one of a kind. Like his owner.
He went to a wood bench and picked up a Kevlar vest. “You need to wear this, Carolyn.”
A frown pulled at the corner of her soft pink lips. “Why?”
“Because we need to take the SOF seriously.” He lowered his voice, though no one else was in the barn. “Corelli accessed Logan’s computer and he’s been listening to the bug. Logan didn’t see us make the rescue, but he assumes you’re somehow responsible. He thinks you influenced Sunny.”
“Of course he’d blame me. The wicked city woman.”
“Put on the vest, Carolyn.” He paused, then added the magic word. “Please.”
She took the vest from him. “I don’t see you wearing any kind of protection.”
“Logan’s ticked off at you, not me.” She seemed to have that effect on people. “But I suppose you’re right. I’ll stop at the van and pick up my own vest.”