Freefall

“Take a break, Hope. You’ve covered a lot of ground in twenty-four hours.”

“I’m fine.”

“Go home and get some rest. We’ll do everything we can to catch this guy.”

Hope stared at Sam, swallowing hard. She couldn’t believe Dixon had ordered her to stand down. This wasn’t just unfair, it was humiliating. Was he cutting her out of the action because she was too emotionally involved, or because he didn’t want her to get hurt? She was the only female law enforcement ranger in the park. Maybe her boss wasn’t much different from Morgenstern after all.

“Is that clear, Banning?”

“Yes, sir.”

She clipped the radio to her waist with shaking hands. Ron might not check in until dark. His group would be thirty miles downriver by then. The Kaweah ran along the east side of Angel Wings, through the most remote area of the park. It was pristine wilderness, totally undeveloped. There were no roads, only a few hiking trails. The only way to reach the rafters quickly was by helicopter.

Or kayak.

If she left now, and paddled hard, she could catch up with the group by nightfall. She’d planned to do that anyway. Dixon wouldn’t be pleased with her insubordination, but she doubted he’d fire her. She had some pretty good dirt on him.

Hope hurried toward the ranger station, where the rescue kayaks were housed.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked.

“Taking my vacation.”

CHAPTER SIX

RANGER CORDOVA UNLOCKED the storage shed at Hope’s request.

She removed the necessary supplies from her pack and shoved them into a dry sack, along with her service weapon. Then she slammed a helmet on her head and wrestled into a life jacket.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked.

“I’m borrowing a kayak. For recreational purposes.”

“Recreational purposes, my ass!”

As she reached for the kayak on the middle shelf, she gave him a sidelong glance, surprised by his vehemence. He was standing in the doorway, blocking her exit. His chest rose up and down with agitation. She wasn’t sure why she had such a strong effect on him. The night she’d slept with him, he’d responded to the barest touch, a whisper of breath. Whatever had drawn them together still hummed beneath the surface, ready to ignite.

“Dixon told you to go home.”

She unstrapped the hull, her pulse racing.

Sam turned to Ranger Cordova, who was watching with wide eyes. “Are you really going to let her do this?”

“She’s my superior, Mr. Rutherford.”

“Then call her superior!”

“Don’t you dare,” she said, pointing her finger at Cordova.

“I’ll call him,” Sam threatened.

“Go right ahead. Get on the phone with your crony and throw some more money at him. I’ll be ten miles downriver by then.”

“You’re really prepared to attempt Class Five whitewater on your own?”

“I’m an experienced kayaker.”

“Those rapids are brutal.”

She removed the kayak from the rack. “You free-solo a thousand feet above the ground, so spare me the safety lecture.”

“They have more than a day’s head start,” he said through clenched teeth. “If, by some miracle, you don’t get slammed in the slickies, you’d have to paddle like hell on the slow sections. Only an expert could catch up with them.”

“You’re familiar with this river?”

Cordova made a coughing noise. She knew something Hope didn’t.

“I used to be a guide here,” he said.

He’d grown up in nearby Tulare, so it made sense. He must have honed his Olympic skills on the three local rivers as a teenager. “Great,” she said, unzipping the kayak cover. Now she understood why he was so agitated. He felt obligated to come with her—again. “I don’t need your assistance this time, Sam.”

“You need a partner.”

“I’ll go,” Cordova said, her expression eager.

Hope didn’t want to get Cordova in trouble. She was a seasonal employee with high aspirations. “I’ll be fine,” she said, hitching the kayak over her shoulder. If he tried to stop her, she’d javelin him with the pointed end.

He stepped aside, muttering a string of curses as she exited the shed. She scrambled to the river’s edge, worried that he was going to follow through on his threat to contact Dixon. Placing the kayak on the bank, she sat down to remove her hiking shoes.

He joined her a moment later, carrying the second kayak.

“You can’t come,” she said. “This isn’t a search-and-rescue.”

“Are you willing to wait for someone else?”

She slipped her shoes into the dry sack, annoyed. There were a few rangers on staff who could run this river, Cordova included, but she couldn’t bring them on an unauthorized mission. Besides, she had to leave now. Her chances of catching up with the group by evening were already dwindling.

“You might be putting your sister in more danger by getting involved,” he said. “Have you thought about that?”

Hope cleared her throat, swallowing back tears. “She’s not due to arrive at Moraine Lake until late tomorrow. If something happens to her between now and then, I’ll never forgive myself.”

With a dark scowl, he glanced away. She could tell that he knew how she felt. They’d both lost loved ones. Hope had given hers up by choice, but that didn’t make her heart ache any less at night.

“What’s your plan?”

She took a deep breath. “Yesterday morning, I told Faith I’d try to catch up with the raft. So that’s what I’ll say I’m doing. I won’t challenge the suspect. He’s probably still armed. I’ll just keep an eye on him until we reach Moraine.”

He deliberated for a moment. “What will you do with your kayak?”