Wilderness Reunion

MOVING TARGETS

After stumbling on a drug operation, Alice Wilde races through the woods as bullets whiz past, using her skills as a wilderness guide to elude her pursuers. But she doesn’t stay safe for long once one of the armed men recognizes her...and starts stalking her. When the sheriff asks her to guide his men and photojournalist Griffin Slater—her ex-boyfriend—to the crime scene, though, she can’t refuse. Alice knows Griffin’s just there for a story, but after the two of them are separated from the rest of the group, he’s the only person who can save her. And with someone willing to do anything to hunt them down, Alice must put aside their past if she wants to survive.

Griffin looked through the lens of his camera, zoomed in. His gut soured at what he saw.

“Looks like thousands of plants.”

He could make out over forty rows with maybe a hundred plants each. Millions of dollars’ worth of marijuana. But dread settled in his gut at the massive number of guards. He could sense that something was about to go south.

“Can I look through it? See what you’re seeing?”

Alice had already seen some of it when she’d stumbled on it, but obviously not the vastness. “Sure, but you’re not going to like it.”

He handed over his superzoom camera. “Did they have that many guards when you were there?”

“I mean, men chased me. Weapons fired off—I couldn’t tell how many, just that there were a lot—but now it looks like...it looks like...”

“A war zone.” Packed with armed guards ready to kill.

Their little reconnaissance mission was a mistake. They shouldn’t be here. Shouldn’t have brought Alice. Then a man’s shadow fell over him and Alice. Griffin didn’t miss the silhouette of the assault rifle.

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for reading Wilderness Reunion, the final book in the Wilderness, Inc. series. I hope you could relate to Alice and Griffin on some level. Part of the reason for this story is I wanted to raise awareness of the devastation that’s being inflicted on public lands in our beautiful country. Not only are illegal marijuana farms catastrophic to the land, the wildlife and water, but they’re dangerous to people, especially nature enthusiasts as you see in this story.

In Alice’s case, her world was turned upside down. She’d been minding her own business when she stumbled into some bad news—she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Have you ever been affected by others’ mistakes or “bad business”? I know I have, and though those mistakes are not anything remotely similar to the illegal marijuana farm in this story, people’s bad choices have disrupted my life at times, and even changed it in big ways. There’s nothing I can do about other people’s actions, but for myself, I must realize how all my choices in life affect others.

Regarding our decisions, we can’t know what will happen down the road, but we can always prayerfully consider our choices, and trust the One to lead and direct our path. Like Psalm 5:8 says, “Lead me, Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies—make Your way straight before me.”

My prayer for you today is that no matter the trouble you stumble into in life, that you allow the One to direct and guide you out of it, to protect you and lead you.

I love to hear from my readers. You can connect with me on my website, ElizabethGoddard.com, where you’ll find links to my social media pages and you can also sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Bookbub!

Many blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

ELIZABETH GODDARD is the award-winning author of more than thirty novels and novellas. A 2011 Carol Award winner, she’s a double finalist in the 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and a 2016 Carol Award finalist. Elizabeth graduated with a computer science degree and worked in high-level software sales before retiring to write full-time.

Wilderness Reunion

Elizabeth Goddard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

—Matthew 10:26–27

To Daddy. I pray for His strength, peace, love and joy as you embark on your new adventure.

Acknowledgments

Every day I wake up and thank God that He blessed me with such an amazing job—the dream job of making up stories. With God everything is possible. A journey taken alone wouldn’t be nearly as fulfilling, so God has added many deep-thinking writer friends, brothers and sisters in the faith, to my life. You know who you are. I couldn’t walk this writing road without you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Danger could lurk behind the beauty. She should know that better than anyone.

Slathered in insect repellent, Alice Wilde and her client had already hiked for three days into the Oregon mountains filled with bald eagles, waterfalls and huge, winding trees—oaks, pines and junipers—while they did their best to avoid poison oak.

This was called “roughing it” by any standard.

Marie had hired Alice to lead her on a hike in the wilderness—it had been on her bucket list, she’d said. Marie had wanted this off-trail adventure far from the overcrowded Rogue River forty-mile trail and the buzzing drones in the canyon.

Tens of thousands of designated wilderness acreage still remained to explore, not counting about a million acres of Siskiyou National Forest. They weren’t going to run out of places to explore anytime soon, which was something Alice loved about the area.

What she didn’t love? The heat, the sweat and the bugs she’d experienced during this brutal hike. She should be in a raft guiding other enthusiasts who’d come to the region to meet the white-water rapid challenge. Except Alice had never wanted to get in that river again after what had happened eight months ago. Someone had trusted her to guide him down the Rogue River through the hazardous rapids.

Rapids that had turned deadly. The man had died on her watch.

As if her thoughts had conjured the image of flowing water, she crossed a small creek—one that eventually emptied into the Rogue River miles away. Alice followed the brook upstream. Marie continued behind her, enjoying the quiet forest as they hiked. Her feet aching, Alice would need to look for a place to set up camp for the night.

She came across a PVC pipe and froze.

Someone diverted water from this brook. Totally illegal. And a bad sign.

Glancing back at Marie who viewed the unnatural sight with curiosity, Alice warned her in a soft whisper, “Stay here.”

“But the—”

Alice held a finger to her lips as she lowered her heavy pack to the ground. Pressed her palms down, signaling Marie to stay low. The woman crouched, frowning, with not a little anxiety in her eyes. Alice removed her weapon from its holster. As quietly as possible, she followed the black PVC pipe from the brook through the woods. When the pipe detoured away from the creek, she hunkered behind the thick trunk of a pine and peered through the bushy shrub growing at its base.

About a hundred yards away, through the dense forest, she could just make out an area where trees had been cut down.

Garbage—plastic bags and propane bottles—was strewn about.

And she could see the plants.

Rows and rows of plants.

Her pulse roared in her ears.

Marijuana.

Oh no!

She’d stumbled on an illegal growing operation. How big, she couldn’t know. Regardless, she had to escape before anyone spotted her.

Maybe it hadn’t been wise to follow the pipe, but neither would it have been wise to continue hiking without investigating. She didn’t want to lead Marie into danger that could get one or both of them killed.

Now she’d need to get the global position on her cell to mark the exact location to report to the authorities. Gripping her handgun and her cell, Alice crept backward then pivoted on her heels and ran straight into a man holding an automatic gun.

Her heart clambered behind her rib cage.

His face scrunched up. “Do I know you?”

In his fifties, silver weaved through his black hair and Van Dyke beard. Menacing dark eyes flashed at her. She’d seen him before, but where or when, she couldn’t remember. Panic incapacitated every thought. No time to respond. No time to think. All she could do was act.

She whipped her weapon up and aimed at his face. He didn’t seem worried in the least. She fingered the trigger and stepped sideways, giving herself a wide berth around him as she backed away from both him and the operation.

“Put your weapon down,” she said.

“I don’t think so.”

If Alice shot him, or even fired off her weapon as a warning, she would bring the rest of the illegal operation down on her and Marie.

His eyes narrowed. “I do know you.”

She couldn’t say the same.

Alice turned and dived into the foliage, her cell slipping from her sweaty fingers, and ran. Trees and bushes scratched her face, tore her clothes, and fear that any second she’d receive a bullet to her back accosted her. A smattering of shots ricocheted off the woods behind her. The shouts of many men bounced off the trees. She didn’t dare go back and retrieve her cell phone. It wasn’t worth her life.

Without slowing, she caught Marie by the arm and yanked her forward. Through her gasps, she said, “We have to run and keep running, Marie. Forget the bears and rattlesnakes. There’s something more deadly in these woods.”

* * *

Griffin Slater downshifted to slow his motorcycle—a silver-and-blue Suzuki Hayabusa—or Busa as he called it, and the fastest motorcycle in the world. Slowing the vehicle didn’t come naturally to him, but this hazardous, curvy mountain road was unmanageable at the speed he was going.

Dusk fell quickly in the woods and Griffin turned on his headlights. Two miles left before he arrived in Gideon, Oregon, in the Wild Rogue Wilderness. Weeks ago he’d contacted the sheriffs in various counties along the West Coast and informed them of his journalistic project regarding illegal marijuana grown on public land, so when his sheriff uncle called him to report a new lead, Griffin dropped everything to get there. As valuable as this could be for his story, he didn’t like to think this kind of activity had sprung up in the wilderness area in his uncle’s county.

The area surrounding Alice Wilde.

The fact that she’d been the one to stumble on the operation had plagued him. She could have been killed.

He’d driven in tonight because he’d wanted to get to Gideon ahead of his uncle who was coming from Gold Beach in the morning. Moisture bloomed on his hands at the thought of facing Alice for the first time since he’d walked away two years ago.

* * *

Rubbing her arms, Alice stared out the front window of her home.

You’re fortunate to be alive...

Sheriff Kruse’s words echoed through her. Once she and Marie had made it to a lodge where they could use the emergency radio, she’d immediately called the sheriff’s department. Alice had left her pack with the SAT phone behind on her frantic run from deadly bullets. Stupid, stupid. Then someone had driven her and Marie back to Gideon and Marie left to fly home to Missouri, where she would be safe from all this mess Alice had stumbled into.

As a trained wilderness guide, she knew the signs, knew what to look for and avoid, and yet she’d walked right into it, endangering herself and Marie. Her brothers, Cooper and Gray, would be more than furious when they found out. She didn’t even want to think about Dad’s reaction. She could almost be glad they were all out of town, but at the same time, she was terrified to be on her own.

The man in the woods claimed he knew her. Did he also know where she lived? Did her pack contain any identifying information? Then again, it probably wouldn’t be so hard to find out who she was or where she lived if he didn’t already know.

The sheriff wouldn’t arrive until the morning. Unfortunately, he had a large county and not enough deputies to go around. Alice had a long night ahead of her. She doubted she would do more than hold her weapon, stare at the ceiling and out the windows until dawn. Might as well get out of the house while there was a little light left in the day.

Grabbing a light jacket, she left the house and headed to Ricky’s Rogue Bar-B-Q. The place had practically burned down in the winter, but they’d built it back and put in a new and bigger kitchen. You could hardly tell anything had happened. At least she didn’t have to spend the first part of her evening alone.

Hiking the short distance to Gideon proper took her through the woods and brought back the trauma of the last few days of running, hiking, barely sleeping as they made their way out of the wilderness to civilization.

A shiver ran through her, and she picked up her pace.

On the street, she took comfort in the still-busy small town, the familiar faces, and headed to the restaurant.

And...sensed someone following her. Or was she being paranoid?

A chilly evening breeze swept past and Alice tugged the jacket tighter.

Footsteps.

She heard footsteps behind her. She again increased her pace.

The footfalls increased as well, keeping in rhythm with her.

Then she slowed, almost stopping. The person behind her did the same.

Heart hammering, Alice wanted to look over her shoulder to see who followed her, but she knew if she saw him—the man she’d seen in the wilderness—fear would paralyze her.

I do know you...

Who was he? His face had been familiar somehow, but living in a tourist town and running a tourist business, she couldn’t remember the name behind every face. She should turn and confront whoever followed her now. She palmed the weapon at her side, but residual fear from her narrow escape in the woods squashed her courage.

A few yards from her up the street, a figure dressed in leather stood next to a big blue motorcycle and tugged off his helmet, revealing a thick head of mussed hair. He turned and walked across the street toward her, filling her with a rush of relief. She didn’t know who he was, but maybe his sturdy presence would scare her stalker away.

Bolstered, she risked a glance over her shoulder and spotted someone ten yards back watching her, his face hidden by his hoodie. Goose bumps crawled over her, and she’d learned long ago never to ignore that sensation.

She turned her attention back to hurrying across the street toward the stranger.

Though...wait. Something about his cadence seemed familiar.

No. It couldn’t be.

But...it was.

Griffin Slater?

Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. She took in the broad shoulders, the trim, athletic physique. It was definitely him.

She rushed forward, putting more distance between her and the person behind her. As she hurried toward Griffin, emotions accosted her.

Anger and resentment along with a million questions.

She could still hear the footfalls, growing closer even as she practically jogged into the street toward Griffin. She hoped to leave her shadow behind. There was safety in numbers, after all.

She stopped just short of throwing herself into Griffin’s arms to find protection and comfort there. Breathing hard, she swiped a hand over her brow and stared at him. He took her in, too, and his appreciative gaze sent heat through her.

His slate-gray eyes always seemed to capture everything, just like his camera, only Griffin could see right through people, read them. Her heart pounded from her fear or from Griffin’s nearness, she wasn’t sure, but Alice hoped he couldn’t read her right now. She wouldn’t want him to know that he affected her one iota. That he’d caused an eruption of emotions, both good and bad.

“It’s really you. You’re not some figment of my imagination.” Had she really just said those words out loud? So much for hiding her emotions.

Her knees wanted to buckle. Was that from seeing Griffin or from yet another narrow escape from danger? She was such a coward not to face and challenge whoever had followed her, instead practically running into this man’s arms.

“Yes, it’s really me. Nice to see you again, Alice.” His gaze briefly flicked to the town behind her.

Had he spotted the man following her? She wanted to gauge his reaction but instead she blurted out, “So you just appear out of nowhere, after two years? Why are you here?” Alice wanted to kick herself, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted answers.

She risked a glance over her shoulder. The man slipped into the shadows between the buildings.

TWO

Griffin gazed into Alice’s dark blue eyes. “I’ll fill you in on the details, soon enough.”

The wildness in her gaze had always reminded him of the way the Rogue River churned and twisted. Her eyes could always stir him up inside, like the dangerous rapids. She’d secured her light brown hair in her usual ponytail, and a few sun-kissed strands had come loose and framed her face. The smattering of freckles across her pretty nose weren’t hidden beneath makeup. None of that for Alice. Another thing he’d always liked about her.

She hadn’t changed a bit since the last time he saw her, except there was something different in her eyes, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he saw.

This was the moment he’d dreaded and the reason he’d come to Gideon ahead of his uncle, but it was upon him much quicker than he would have liked. He’d had no time to catch his breath at the Gideon Lodge like he’d planned.

He hadn’t been sure how he would feel when he faced her again, and seeing her now could bowl him over, except for the turmoil written all over her face that brought his focus back.

“What happened, Alice? What’s wrong?”

She glanced over her shoulder again. So he’d read her right. There was more happening here than the anger he assumed was directed at him. Griffin fought the need to tug her to him, push her behind him, protect her. He didn’t think Alice wanted that from him. And he sure didn’t want the rush of unbidden feelings, but he should have expected the shock of seeing her that rolled through him.

Alice hesitated, then replied, “I think someone followed me.”

“The way you say that, sounds like you mean someone might have followed you to harm you. Is that what you mean, Alice?”

“Yes, I think so, but I can’t be sure. He disappeared between those buildings.”

Maybe she was overreacting, but he had a feeling she wasn’t. He hoped he was wrong about that. Hoped it had nothing to do with her stumbling on the illegal garden.

He started to take off in pursuit but she grabbed his arm. “No, wait. Don’t leave me. He’s long gone by now anyway.”

He hesitated, unsure what to do, but he didn’t want to leave her alone. Plus, they needed to talk. Alice didn’t know yet about his assignment, he assumed. And it sounded like there was much more about what had happened in the wilderness than Griffin knew, as well.

But before they could talk about that, he needed to address her on a more personal level. That was why he’d come. It would have seemed insensitive for him to just show up with his sheriff uncle tomorrow, especially considering how he’d left.

Three years ago, he’d come to the Wild Rogue Wilderness region to rest after a TBI—traumatic brain injury—had ended his military career and a job he lived for. After six months, he was well on his way to a full recovery and hoped to establish himself as a civilian photojournalist in conflicted regions of the world. Then...he’d met Alice. They’d grown too close, too fast.

He could still remember how she’d begged him to stay, but he’d been afraid of his growing feelings for her, so he’d taken the assignment in Kenya when an agency called looking for a freelancer. He’d assured her he would come back after the assignment and had told himself he meant it. But it had been all too easy to make excuses to never return. And now that he stood here with her, he had no clue how to bring it all up again. How to even broach the topic. Maybe Alice had moved on and had no interest in dredging it up, except her first words to him gave her away.

So you just appear out of nowhere, after two years? Why are you here?

Yeah, she wanted to talk about it.

Griffin scraped a hand down his face. He’d come to Gideon looking for her and now that he’d found her, he was tongue-tied and ashamed. He could face so many horrible things...but he couldn’t let himself love someone. Why was it so hard?

“Listen, I need to head to the lodge before it’s too late and make sure they have a room for me.” And yet he definitely wanted her to stick with him if someone was following her. “You want to walk with me? Then we can go somewhere and you can tell me what’s going on. Why someone followed you.”

She nodded. “Yeah, sure.” And looked over her shoulder again.

They headed off in the direction of the lodge. Dusk finally settled on the town. Griffin watched the shadows for Alice’s stalker, and at the same time he tried to come up with an opening about his departure before and the fact he hadn’t returned as he’d said.

Alice strolled next to him and palmed the gun tucked at her side. Wary. She was definitely wary about something.

Inside the lodge, she stepped back and waited for Griffin to check in. His call to find a room had been last-minute—risky during peak tourist season—but the woman had thought a guest planned to leave early and had said she would hold the room for Griffin.

When he announced his name, the woman paled. “I’m so sorry, sir. I thought we’d have a vacancy, but it didn’t materialize. I left you a message on your cell.”

Right, and he hadn’t checked his messages while on his motorcycle.

“It’s okay. Not your fault.” Worst case he could head back to Gold Beach and stay with Uncle Davis. But he was glad he’d come, if Alice needed him.

Griffin left the registration desk to stand next to Alice, unsure what to do now. He didn’t want to leave her alone if someone had followed her and she was in danger. Where were her brothers?

“You can stay in the apartment above Wilderness, Inc.” Her words took him by surprise.