Lost & Found (Possessed 3)

With a plan in mind, he finally drifted off into what he had hoped would be a peaceful sleep. Turned out he was in for a hell of a nightmare.

Tracking a hunter wasn’t always as easy as it might seem. Nick knew it was his last chance to find the serial killer plaguing their county; unfortunately, his tracks had run dry a few hours ago. That meant he knew Nick was onto his trail or had lost him.

Not wanting to think that he may have lost the man that killed three families, he doubled back. Paying closer attention to the bushes surrounding the trail and hoping to see a drop of blood left behind from the injury he knew the man had sustained. The last family he’d tried attacking was a good friend of Nick’s; a Marine coming home after his third and final tour of duty.

Thankfully, Matt had been there or his friend’s entire family—parents, wife, two children, and two siblings—would have been brutally murdered in their sleep. He had gotten the jump on the intruder and sliced his back open with a kitchen knife.

As soon as Matt lost sight of the guy coming up the mountain, he’d called Nick, aware that he knew the terrain better than almost anyone else in town.

Or he thought he had.

Slowing his tracks down, he finally spotted a broken branch heading east towards where a family of Cougars had been located only a week before. He knew it was a bad idea following the man in, it might even be a trap, but he had to try. Twelve lives demanded he proceed; they deserved justice.

The best they could figure was the guy was a drifter. There was no indication that whoever it was hailed from Golden or any of the surrounding towns.

Slowing his pace as he heard rustling coming from in front of him, shock swept through him like a hurricane as he listened to a baby’s muffled cry. Cursing came from the same direction as he slowly moved closer. Finally reaching the sounds he had picked up, he pulled the rifle off his back, not wanting to chance an attack from one of the cats he knew were out there.

Hiding behind a large tree, he spotted the killer bleeding on a rock. He looked as though his strength was waning.

The baby’s distress sounds would have alerted any animals or people around to their position, so he knew he had to act swiftly. Pulling the small thirty-eight pistol from his ankle strap, he took aim at the man’s head just as a pair of golden eyes reflected back at him.

He had one shot. One choice to make.

The baby’s cry grew louder as the man began to shake her.

“Freeze!” Nick yelled as loud as he could, hoping he might scare the cat off.

Laughter met his order, followed by, “You think you can get to me before the cat?”

“The question is, will my bullet rip through your skull before the cat’s claws gut you?” he countered, needing to believe that baby wasn’t going to die from his mistake.

Another set of glowing eyes made its presence known.

“Looks like none of us are leaving this mountain tonight,” the bastard taunted just before tossing the baby behind him towards Nick. Probably hoping the cats would go for it, and kill Nick and the child in the process. He was wrong.

As soon as the baby left his arms, the cats attacked him. His blood was their incentive. His life was theirs.

“Nick, Nick, wake up!” He could feel hands shaking him. A worried voice was calling for him. His eyes popped open to see Pepper leaning over him, a concerned look on her face. “Are you alright?” she murmured, unmoving.

His voice was gravelly as he answered, “Yeah. I’m good.” The nightmare was one he often had. The baby had lived, and her family moved away from Golden days later. He had no idea where or how they were now.

“Okay,” she murmured, getting up to leave. Impulsively, he reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her to lay in his arms.

Her head on his chest was soothing, relaxing. He could get used to it. The feel of her soft curves against him was the most peace he’d experienced in a long time.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, rubbing her hand lightly over his chest. Relaxing him.

Did he want to? It wasn’t anything he could hide. All she had to do was ask someone in town about it. “Small town life, it’s quiet. Nothing more than speeding tickets and jay-walking on most days.”

“That sounds nice,” she sighed.

“It is. No major crimes mean my town is safe. My people are happy,” he responded absently.

“What happened?” Perceptive one she was.

Taking a deep breath, he began his story. “About a year after I was elected Sheriff, there was a drifter in town. I’d never seen him but had a few citizens express concern. Not because of anything he’d said or done, more like a vibe they got from him.” Pausing, he thought about all the things he could have done differently. Top of the list, he should have started looking for the man sooner.

Twirling a lock of Pepper’s dark hair around his finger he continued. “When I started searching for him, it was already too late. He’d slaughtered an entire family while they slept.”