Justice Undercover Read online

  He didn’t buy that theory.

  Megan had two little kids at home. She’d never go cliff diving. Mom and Dad said she hadn’t come by the house. Her car had been parked at the gate. At least one other set of footprints had been found at the scene. Considering the dry weather conditions and the amount of rock shelf, it couldn’t be determined if those prints had been left the same night of Megan’s death.

  He drove to the back corner of the field and entered through an old barbwire gate—the only access to the quarry from his parents adjoining pasture. He eased off the accelerator and checked the ground for tracks. The grass was flattened making it difficult to tell, but one place looked like tire tracks. Or had the last rain trampled down the Bermuda grass?

  Even with sunglasses, the morning sun blinded him. Instinctively, he checked to make certain his gun was in his belt holster. Satisfied, he pulled down the bib on his hat and skirted the small brush. The owner of the quarry didn’t live in the area and had posted No Trespassing signs on the fence. Not that anyone paid attention to his warnings.

  On the west side of the quarry, he stopped the ATV. He wanted to walk the area to get a feel for the land.

  Hiking up a natural step of rock, he sucked in a breath. The quarry was even bigger and deeper than he remembered. Spread over eight acres, the cliffs plunged to the water sixty feet below, and the water was up to twenty feet deep in some areas. Except for the arm of an old rusted rock crusher abandoned decades ago, the green crystal water could’ve been mistaken for a tropical setting. Contrary to some quarries, which housed steplike entrances, three sides of the Munson Rock Quarry walls had been cut in sharp fashion, creating an almost flawless vertical rock enclosure that was difficult to climb. Dangerous place for adventure-seeking teens.

  Megan was no adolescent.

  A hawk flew across the water and landed on the far side. It would’ve been a beautiful place if not for the haunting images of his sister’s body floating in the water below.

  The afternoon Megan’s body was found, the area had been taped off and the deputy sheriff hadn’t been crazy about having Luke there. Now, he continued to scout around, searching for anything the investigators might’ve missed. The path to the main gate was covered in tall, unbeaten grass, meaning no one had driven back here. He walked to the edge where Megan was thought to have fallen or jumped from, depending on how a person looked at it.

  “What happened to you, Meg?” he said out loud.

  His deep sigh filled the silence. If only his sister would’ve come to him. Tommy had left her a couple of months before her death. Luke tried to ask his sister about it, but she replied in short, clipped answers, always concluding the conversation with “we’re fine.”

  The breeze blew, but in that moment, a strange sound arose—out of place for the normal outside noises of insects, birds and far-off clamors.

  He glanced over his right shoulder. Except for a bee hovering above wildflowers, no movement.

  Something pounded through the grass on his left. He jerked around as his hand went for his holster’s safety strap.

  A force slammed into his side, knocking his hand from the butt of his gun. Luke fought for balance, but one more powerful shove to the back sent him stumbling toward the overhang.

  Rocks slid from under his boots, and then he caught a glimpse of a stranger’s face as he went over the edge. Luke’s hands clawed at stone, which tore into his skin. He couldn’t find a grip.

  He continued down the sheer embankment, groping for a lifeline as he propelled toward the jagged rocks below.

  EIGHT

  Kylie didn’t understand the chip on Luke’s shoulder about his parents. Which reminded her, she needed to check her sister’s Facebook page again and see if there were any more updates.

  The big white truck was Ranger-issued, she guessed. Concerned how he would react when he learned she was using his truck, she tried to call Luke. No answer. She would be extra careful. Being a US Marshal, she had learned how the department took it when you cost them money. Not to mention it’d be a criminal offense. Even though she used to be a Deputy US Marshal, she didn’t think that’d save her if she got caught.

  His mom had said he was at the back of their pasture. Not knowing the terrain, or exactly how to get to the quarry, she decided to take the rock road behind their place. The morning sun reflected off the hood of truck and she had to put down the visor. She let down the window and took a left out of the drive. There were no other houses in view. Barbwire fences lined the huge pasture. After about a mile, the road come to a T, and she took another left.

  More fences and a cattle lot, but still no sign of Luke. A couple of deep ravines spidered across the land, making her glad she hadn’t driven through the field. Finally, the road came to a dead end, with a double gate bound with a heavy chain and lock. No Trespassing was clearly posted on the gate. Nothing indicated a rock quarry, though.

  Had she missed him? She called his number again. No answer. Possible he couldn’t hear the ringing if he was riding the ATV. She put the truck in Park, killed the engine and got out in the tall grass.

  She listened. Somewhere in the distance a cow bawled and an engine hummed. How far did highway traffic sounds carry? Shielding her eyes, she looked around. Nothing but grass and trees in all directions. Considering she was in his truck, she didn’t want to drive all over the place. If only she could see better... She leaned across the driver’s seat and rifled through the console, then found a pair of binoculars in the side pocket of the door. She stood just outside the vehicle.

  Using the powerful-looking glass, she again surveyed the area. Nothing but grass and trees. Finally, she turned to the pasture in front of her, with the locked gate. To the north, the ground broke away. More ravines? She squinted, zooming in. Something reflected. Could be farm equipment, or Luke’s ATV. She walked over and examined the lock on the gate, but it was secure. She could blast the latch with her Glock...

  Kylie looked around. Still nothing.

  Was the cloud of dust in the distance Luke? She peered through the binoculars. Between bushes and trees, she only got a glimpse of a moving vehicle too big for an ATV. Maybe Luke had returned to the house.

  She climbed into the seat, leaving her door open. As she went to turn the key, she heard something. Almost as if someone was yelling. She stepped out of the truck. A gust of wind caused the grass to swish. Finally, the wind died down.

  There it was again. A man’s voice hollering.

  Grabbing her Glock, she climbed the fence and jogged toward the north, a faint trail in front of her. She kept a careful lookout at her surroundings. The voice could belong to Luke or someone else. She didn’t need to run up on one of the attackers. The rocky trail and the steep embankment of a large pond or lake loomed in front of her. As she topped the crest, a deep hole played out before her. Water filled the bottom. Munson Rock Quarry.

  “Luke?”

  Grumblings she couldn’t understand.

  “Where are you?”

  “Here.” His strained voice was near.

  She ran along the edge and glanced over the top. Halfway down a sixty-foot drop, Luke desperately clung to the side of a cliff. “I’m here.”

  He looked up, his gaze connecting with hers. He groaned, “Is there anyone still up there?”

  What? She looked around. “No. No one.”

  “Good,” he shouted. “Go back to the house. Have my dad bring a rope.”

  She slid her gun back into the holster. “Do you have one in the truck?”

  “No.”

  From this angle, it appeared Luke’s boot had caught in a crevice, jacking his foot up waist-high. His face burned red, and it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.

  “There’s no time to go back to your parents’.” She retrieved her phone from her pocket and slid her finger across the screen. “No bars.
”

  “I know. I already tried to call. No signal.”

  Kylie would try, anyway. “What’s your dad’s number?”

  Luke rattled off the numbers and she punched them in. Still didn’t work. Before Luke could argue, she threw her legs over the edge and rolled to her belly, her foot searching for a hold. Scaling the walls at the gym and the occasional hiking trip had taught her climbing skills, but she had always been attached to a safety rope. She couldn’t afford mistakes at this height—both she and Luke could be severely injured.

  “What are you doing? Go back up.”

  “I can help you. I’m a good climber.” Her foot found a small crack in the wall. She tested it and found her hold secure, then took a step down. Running shoes weren’t made for climbing. She could see from her vantage point that Luke’s arms were trembling. He couldn’t hold on much longer, but she doubted he had the humility to beg her to hurry.

  She descended the rock face one step at a time. Her palms sweated, and she held on with one hand while she wiped the other, then repeated. Her breathing came in bursts, and her nerves were frayed.

  “Be careful, Kylie.”

  He didn’t have to remind her. A fall to the rocks below would be instant death. Or maybe mangle my body so I wished I was dead. She cleared her head and found another sturdy hold. Only a few more feet. She took another step, and as she released with her right hand, the rock her left was holding broke away.

  “Kylie!”

  Her body swayed back, her hands clawing for a hold, something—anything. Her shoe slipped, causing her to slide down several feet before her fingers grasped a sharp edge that bit into her flesh. A strong hand grabbed her calf, lifted her and steadied her long enough for her to gain control. She clung to the side, her heart drumming out of control. “Thank you.”

  Pain and exhaustion etched into his expression. “You got a grip?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sure?”

  “I got it.” Fear made her speak louder than she intended. She took one more step and was even with him. “Let me catch my breath.”

  “This was a mistake. You shouldn’t have climbed down here. Kylie—”

  “Shh. Luke, I know what I’m doing.” In field training, she had scored highest of all female participants in the obstacle course and third overall. She was probably the best climber except for Tim Veazey, a super all-around athlete. “Do you have the strength to climb back up or do we need to go down, rest and then find an easier way out?”

  “I’m not a good swimmer.” He talked between gritted teeth.

  What? She glanced down at the water. They could descend the cliff and bypass the water altogether, but the wall was steeper than she’d first thought. They might wind up in the water. “Okay. Up it is.”

  Luke’s torn pants were caked with mud. His boot was turned sideways in the crevice, his weight pulling him deeper into it. He was a big man. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  She spotted a triangular nook below him and stepped down to it. She put her weight on the stone and tested it by slightly bouncing. Should be sturdy enough to hold them both. She found a good grip for her right hand, but a rock barely protruding for her left. Her fingers squeezed tight.

  “Okay, I want you to step on my knee and use it to step up.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I can take it. Go,” she practically shouted at him. No malice intended, as fear drove her adrenaline.

  His left boot stepped lightly on her.

  “Luke, please don’t worry about me. Use my leg to push off so you can get your other foot out. I got this. Hurry up.”

  He didn’t respond, but planted his foot, the heel digging into her thigh.

  She bit back a yelp and swallowed, gritting against the pain with her teeth. As he shoved away, she sucked in a gasp, the pain sharp, but managed to maintain her death grip. Closing her eyes, she could still feel him, and his boot lifted from her leg.

  As the pain subsided, she looked up. Luke struggled to free his boot. No doubt his foot was numb from being trapped. “Hang on tight. Come on.”

  With a hard pull, his body swayed backward, his foot dropping back to Kylie’s leg.

  She cried out this time. Couldn’t help it.

  Instantly, he shoved off again and found a higher foothold. He yanked his ensnared boot several times, and each time Kylie feared he would pull too hard and lose his balance again. A second later, he jerked, and this time his foot came free.

  She wanted to yell some kind of encouragement, but she was drained of energy and didn’t figure he needed to be distracted. Luke didn’t seem like a man that needed coddling. For each step he took, she took one.

  Even though she was in excellent physical shape, her muscles were tiring fast. At the gym and the times she went rock climbing, she’d purposely chosen difficult courses. But this was worse. Her battered nerves didn’t help.

  A splattering of sand and gravel from above had her looking up.

  Her gaze locked onto familiar eyes. The man with the ski mask from the dollar store stood on the overhang, peering down at them.

  “Go. Take cover.” Luke must’ve seen him at the same time she did. He took a step up, situating himself above her, and shielded her from potential line of fire.

  Her gun was in her ankle holster. She bent down, squeezing the rock with all her might with her left hand while the other hand searched for the gun at her ankle.

  A bullet hit the rock to the right of them.

  “Move!” Luke returned fire.

  She half slid, half fell down the rock face.

  More gunfire. Suddenly, the Ranger lost his grip and fell back, shoving away from the edge.

  She barely got out of the way. “No!”

  Water splashed below.

  Trying for her gun one more time, her fingers touched metal. Movement above told her the suspect was still alive. She prayed he didn’t shoot her first. If she could just reach...

  Her foot slipped.

  She screamed. Her hands flailed through the air, grasping and searching for a hold. But then nothing. As she fell, she glimpsed the man staring down at her.

  Cold water engulfed her.

  * * *

  Don’t panic. Swim. Luke willed himself to keep his head. He had gulped water as he entered the lake, causing him to choke and gasp for air. He kicked his feet but continued to sink. His boots and jeans weighed him down.

  A stinging on his jaw caused him to grimace. A bullet must’ve grazed him. The pain wasn’t excruciating, but he’d seen enough injuries as a Texas Ranger to know sometimes the pain came later, shock keeping it at bay. He hoped that wasn’t the case.

  Images of himself as a kid splashing and struggling to stay afloat played through his mind. He would’ve drowned that day if his dad hadn’t pulled him out. How his dad had known where he had gone, he never knew. Luke wasn’t going to panic today.

  Please, God, save me. Help me to relax.

  There was a big splash, the force tugging him under, and then legs danced in front of him.

  Holding his breath, he kicked and used his hands to thrust his body. He soared upward and broke the surface again. He coughed, took a deep breath and coughed again. His heart raced, but he knew in that moment, he wasn’t going under again.

  “Are you okay?”

  He looked into Kylie’s wet face, concern in her blue eyes. “Yes.”

  She didn’t look certain, but said, “Come on. This way.”

  “Wait.” He looked up at the cliff’s edge, but the shooter was gone. At least for now. “Are you hurt?”

  Kylie shook her head. “No. But I think you hit him. The man was holding his hand.”

  Luke didn’t reply. He needed to scour the area as soon as they were out of this pit. They had to get this guy. Concentrating on swimming—if you cou
ld call it swimming, since it was more like dog-paddling—he kept moving toward the shore.

  Kylie glanced back at him, and then she was at the water’s edge. She tried to step out, but her foot slipped and she went back under. A second later she surfaced again. After another failed attempt, she called, “This isn’t going to work. Too steep.”

  Luke swallowed as he concentrated on staying afloat. The little fish who chanted to continue swimming from one of the twins’ movies played through his head. Okay, he was losing it.

  He watched with dread as his nanny took off swimming toward the other side. She stayed close to the water’s edge, but there was no shore. No place to rest. Drawing in a deep breath, he continued to move in the same direction as Kylie.

  The distance between them increased. His boots were getting heavier by the second. The sun reflected on the still water. At least he was thankful the water was calm, with barely a ripple.

  “Come on,” Kylie yelled to him.

  He looked up and saw her holding on to the old rock crusher. Surely, he could make it that far. Twenty yards past the decaying machine was the old road that trucks used to escape this death trap, now crumbling from rain and time. There’d be no way to drive a vehicle on the steep trail, but they should be able to climb out.

  His legs cramped and his mouth dipped below the surface, causing him to gulp a mouthful. He spit and continued to move. Silently, he prayed to God. Please help me. I need to get back to the twins. Suddenly, the image of his parents went through his mind. The arguing. The hard feelings. He needed to make amends with his parents. When had things gone so wrong in his life? Help me.

  “You’re almost here.” Kylie clung to the side.

  Her voice encouraged him. He was going to make it. Just a few more strokes. He sucked in more water but continued to move. No doubt his lack of form used too much energy. If he ever got out of here alive, he would take swimming lessons.

  “Take a rest.”

  He looked up and Kylie was right in front of him. What a beautiful sight. Her wet hair clung to her, but those blue eyes connected with his, giving him strength. One more kick and his hand touched hers. Relief flowed through him as she pulled him toward safety. Every muscle trembled as he hugged the side of the heavy contraption.