Red on the River - Page 82

The second day the women expected to hike around nine miles. Quite a lot of the trail, with switchbacks going up steep, was exposed rock. The highlights were the breathtaking views of the river on one side. It was far hotter than expected this time of year, and they encountered only one other group of hikers heading back toward White Wolf Trailhead in the first two hours.

The little family stopped to talk to them. The father was worried because they had left their car on the side of the road without a permit and hiked in the evening before. They were hurrying back down to the beginning of the trail in order to make sure their car wasn’t towed. Vienna didn’t point out it was clear he knew he wasn’t supposed to park there without a permit and more than likely the car was gone.

They also mentioned they hadn’t seen any other hikers. That did surprise Vienna. This was late in the year, and most people would expect that the falls weren’t at their height of glory, but the weather was warm, the views were beautiful, and the trail was popular.

They took a break to hike down to a swimming hole before starting up the switchbacks, which would be blazing in the heat. As they lay out in the sun, Harlow tossed a small stone in Vienna’s direction to get her attention.

“We’ve got to talk about what we’re going to do about Wallin. If everything Raine found out is the truth and you really are Elliot Blom’s daughter, Wallin won’t stop coming after you. Not if you’re in line to inherit a good portion of his hotel and casino.”

Vienna had been enjoying her time outdoors without thinking about Wallin or whether or not she had been a fool over Zale. At the simple statement, instead of being upset, she found herself feeling overwhelmed that she had friends that would stand by her no matter what the circumstances or even the danger to them.

“Is there any way to prove that he’s making threats against Blom and Vienna?” Zahra asked.

“If Rainier had answered questions instead of deciding to be a clam, we might know,” Shabina said. “Once he makes up his mind to something, like not talking, it would take a miracle to change it.”

“What about Sam, Stella? Would he know?” Zahra asked.

Stella looked uncomfortable. “When we get back, I’ll ask him, but if he can’t talk to me about it, I’m not going to push him. I don’t want a big fight before the wedding.”

Vienna sat up straight. “No, don’t do that. I would hate that, Stella. If Zale comes around again, and I know he’s in the wedding party, I’ll ask him myself. If he still refuses to talk to me, we’ll just figure another way.” Just saying his name hurt. She wasn’t expecting the emotional response.

“I’m really sorry,” Raine murmured again. “I wish I hadn’t been so angry with those two for withholding the information about Blom. And also the bet between Liam and Wallin. I have such a bad temper. I could have maybe been a little more careful in the way I handled that. If I’d gone to the two of them first and talked to them . . .” She trailed off.

“In the end, Raine, the point is they not only withheld the information, but Zale lied to me about why he was there,” Vienna said. “My life was in danger and I didn’t know.”

“Because they’re so arrogant they think they can outwit everyone, even killers.” Shabina didn’t sound as disgusted as she did worried.

“What about reaching out to Elliot Blom?” Stella suggested. “Would that really be so terrible, Vienna? You could ask him for the information.”

“If he didn’t want Zale and Rainier to even share the information they had on the bet between Liam and Wallin, and he was willing to use me as bait, I don’t think he would suddenly be all that forthcoming. In any case, I don’t particularly want to talk to a man who was willing to throw me to the sharks just to further his cause. Whatever that was. Saving his own life maybe? Making certain he inherits the shares in the casino? Who knows?”

“More than likely, it was to find out who was killing his operatives,” Raine ventured.

Vienna sighed. “I honestly don’t care what his reason was; he was willing to hang me out there, putting my life in jeopardy. Why didn’t he check in to the hotel and have his agents protect him? He was safe somewhere behind a desk while Zale and Rainier took the risk to protect me. I just don’t think I’d trust any information coming from him.”

“I think it’s safe to say the two of you aren’t going to be friends,” Harlow said. “That’s what I’m hearing.”

“I believe you’re reading me correctly,” Vienna said.

Stella glanced at her watch. “We’d better get on the trail. I told Sam we were taking four days to hike this trail. You know how he is. If we take five, he’ll send every branch of the military after us.”

“Did he put a tracking device on you?” Raine asked as they dressed in their hiking clothes and gathered up their gear.

Stella scowled at her. “I said no. The most I did was set up my mini Garmin to send him an alert at night when we camped so he’d have our location. And that was grudging. Before I left, I did set up the Garmin to send to Zahra’s phone every half hour just in case she gets lost.” She held up her mini Garmin and then pushed it into the inside zippered flap of her pack. “That way, she can follow the GPS right back to us, or we can find her. I put an app on her phone.”

“I don’t get lost,” Zahra denied, shouldering her pack.

“You get lost in a parking lot at the mall,” Harlow told her.

Zahra’s dark brows drew together. “Those parking lots are huge. Why do they even have malls that size? No one can find their way out of them. Everyone gets turned around, it’s not just me.”

“Yosemite is bigger than a mall parking lot,” Stella pointed out. “And I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

The narrow trail was stony with loose rock everywhere. The sun reflected off the rock on one side of them and off the churning water below as they began the climb.

Zahra laughed. “I suppose I do get turned around. I did learn after the last time not to go alone at night to find a place to pee. And this time I have a whistle.”

“Good to know,” Vienna said. “You need realistic survival gear, even if it’s the minimal gear.”

Zahra rolled her eyes. “You always tell me that. I do carry a water filtration system. If I get lost, I plan on sitting in one place until all of you find me.”

Vienna had drilled it into her enough times that she needed survival gear when they hiked, even with all of them together. It didn’t matter that she didn’t plan on being separated. No one ever planned to get lost, but it happened all the time. Each time Vienna had organized a rescue and brought home a dead body or bodies, she had more talks with her friends about necessary survival gear and what to do in circumstances based on the time of year.

Zahra listened to her, and she was carrying more gear, but sometimes Vienna felt as if it was pulling teeth to get her to do it. Vienna knew part of Zahra’s resistance was fear. She told herself she wouldn’t ever get separated because the thought of being lost and alone in the forest was terrifying to her.

The views were gorgeous, and no matter how uncomfortable the heat was, it was well worth it to see the amazing panoramas. Vienna looked out over the cliff edges as she walked up the steep slope and immediately set her foot down on an unstable rock. It rolled out from under her foot and she went down. As she did, what seemed like a series of angry bees struck the rock face where her head had been, sending splinters of granite bursting back at them. The sound of gunshots followed as the shards cut into packs, hair and skin.

Shabina screamed. Raine shoved her forward. “Run. Run to the bend. We’re sitting ducks out here. Pull out mirrors and reflect them back on the shooters, they’re on the ridge.”

Stella crouched down to help Vienna, who was trying to scramble on her hands and knees. The next bullet hit the granite above them and sent rocks sliding down on top of them. Raine rushed to help Stella and Vienna as the others fled upward.

Vienna’s ankle was twisted, but she did her best to push up into a crouch as Raine came around to assist her. A bullet caught Raine and slammed her into Vienna so that they both hit the slab of granite hard and slid to the trail floor. Stella dropped her pack instantly, screaming at Vienna to get up.

Tags: Christine Feehan Romance
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