Ronan and Steve looked around as they came out of the trees.
"What's up?” Ronan stood.
"There's a tour group being attacked on the Red Mountain trail. We think it's Candy, so you'd better come with us.” She glanced at Steve. “You'd better stay here with the doc."
"Hart, our forensics’ guy, is on his way here,” Cade said, as he shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Trista and Anton will meet us up there."
"We can't afford to wait for them."
Cade glanced at her. “No. You have those tranquilizer guns in your trucks?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go get the bitch."
* * * *
Despite the weather, the scent of blood seemed to hang in the air, thick and rich and ripe, which, Cade thought wearily, meant it was truly bad up ahead. He rubbed a hand across his jaw and half wished they could have done something, anything, to prevent this tragedy. Attacks like this didn't do the reservations any favors, especially since it was the human habit to blame all wolves for the actions of a few. They'd be paying for this for years, economically at least. Though Candy herself would pay with her life. There was no such thing as a second chance for a wolf found guilty of murdering a human.
He shut the truck door and flipped up the collar of his coat as he stared up the trail. There was no sound other than the howl of the wind and the smash of the rain against everything that stood in its path. Not even from the two white-faced women who emerged from the cover of several pines and ran towards them.
The oldest of the two didn't stop until she'd hit him full on. He grunted in surprise and automatically wrapped his arms around her. Her entire body shook, and her skin was icy. The other woman stopped several paces away, a haunted, almost vacant look in her eyes. Exposure, combined with shock. Their first priority had to be getting them warm. He glanced at Savannah and raised an eyebrow. She nodded at his unasked question and moved back to the truck.
"It's all right, Ma'am,” he said, briskly but gently rubbing the back of the woman hugging him so tight. “Can you tell me what happened?"
"You've got to help them. Please.” Her voice was muffled by his chest and little more than a hoarse, shaky whisper.
The strong scent of blood, and the fact that there was no screaming or howling coming from the trail ahead, suggested it was already far too late to help anyone up there. And he knew from past experience that it was better to sneak up on a wolf in a frenzy than to jump right in.
He grimaced, and tried to keep his voice calm as he said, “Ma'am, we need to know what happened."
"A big cream wolf just came out of nowhere and attacked us. It was crazy, just tearing and biting and ... oh God.” She started to cry softly.
He gently squeezed her shoulder, feeling awkward and knowing such gestures offered little in the way of comfort. He doubted anything would right now. “How long has it been quiet?"
"I don't know,” she said, alternating between hiccupping and crying. “Not long. A minute, maybe more. God, you've got to hurry. Please."
She broke down completely, her sobs shaking her body and his. Savannah approached, wrapping a blanket around the woman's shoulders before gently prying her away. He couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief. He hated clingy women. Always had, which was probably why he'd fallen so hard for Savannah. He stopped the thought cold. Now was not the time for such things.
He glanced at the second woman, and touched her arm. Her flesh was almost blue, her eyes vacant and jaw slack. “Ma'am?” he said softly.
No response. “Ma'am,” he said, a little louder this time. “We need to ask some questions."
Vannah came back with another waterproof blanket and wrapped it around the woman's shoulders. There was no reaction.
Savannah glanced at him. “You want me to prod her telepathically?"
He hesitated. Technically, he should be the one doing it since such intrusions were in his purview, while they could get her into serious trouble. But they couldn't let this drag on. They had to know what to expect and get up there before Candy finished gorging herself and moved on. And Vannah was obviously a far stronger psychic than he. He nodded.
Savannah placed her fingers on either side of the woman's cheeks and narrowed her eyes. A whisper of energy teased his mind, and then her thoughts were in his head, a distant echo of the force she used on the woman.
Ma'am, we need to know many people were in your group.
He shouldn't be able to hear her. The fact that he could meant this thing between them went far deeper than he'd presumed.
God, it was so damn frustrating that he just couldn't grab her and talk to her. Really talk to her—get out in the open all she was feeling, all he was feeling. Get the past and future sorted out.
But there was Candy, and the humans, and somewhere in Ripple Creek a madwoman intent on making them pay for their so-called crimes of the past.