The Target (3 page)

“Ms. Michaels? Sara?”

“Over here,” she called. She walked to her backpack and waited. Soon, all ten women appeared, each carrying nearly identical backpacks. The anticipation on their faces practically made her laugh. She wondered if any of them knew how much they’d changed in ten short weeks. Self-confidence showed on almost every face. The eagerness with which they approached the last two weeks of their group sessions was reward enough for Sara, but looking at them now, all standing tall and proud, ready to face the world—and this two-week trek up the mountain—made all those long nights and weeks worthwhile.

Abby was the first in line, as usual. A young mother, she had suffered constantly at the hands of her abusive husband, only escaping when he had finally put both her and her two-year-old in the hospital. She had been beaten but her spirit did not break.

Next to her stood Lou Ann, an attractive grad student in her thirties who had been on the verge of alcoholism when she’d joined the program. Then Megan and Ashley, the youngest two of the group, both slightly overweight and lonely—they’d blossomed the most. Their energy inspired most of the others during the hardest sessions. Behind them stood the others, all looking at Sara with expectant faces. The biggest smile came from Sandra, standing at her usual spot at the back of the line.

“What are we waiting for, Sarge?” Sandra asked. “Daylight’s wasting. Let’s start this trek you’ve been talking about.”

Sara laughed. “You’re right. Okay, everyone filled up water bottles, yes?”

“Yes,” they answered.

“And we’ve got meals to last a month?”

“Yes.”

“Nobody forgot a sleeping bag?”

“No.”

“Okay then. I checked with the weather service this morning. You’ll be happy to know that there is no chance of an early season snowstorm, so we won’t have that to worry about.”

“Then let’s hit the trail!”

Sara laughed, her earlier unease fading at the exuberance of the ten women around her. She grabbed her backpack and slipped it over her shoulders, starting out on the trail at an even pace, listening to the chatter behind her with a satisfied smile. This moment made all the hard work worthwhile. They’d cried more times than she could count but over the last few weeks the tears had turned to smiles. They all knew the significance of this trip. It was a new beginning for each of them. And hopefully, they would each emerge back into the world as more confident women, not focusing on the past, but looking forward to the future.

Jaime tightened the straps on her backpack then checked the trail map one more time. She’d been to the Collegiate Peaks before, many times in fact, but had never been on this trail. She’d always started near Cottonwood Pass, not the trails near Buena Vista. But hell, none of that would matter if Michaels had decided on a different route at the last minute.

“No. She wouldn’t do that.”

Not planning a trip for ten women, you don’t change plans at the last minute. And Andy at the downtown sporting goods store, not far from Sara Michaels’s office, had talked nonstop about how he caters to The New You clinic. In fact, he’s been supplying new backpacks to them since the beginning. And yeah, Sara Michaels may have mentioned the Collegiate Peaks a time or two in the last week. That and she’d purchased a new topo map for the area. Yes, good old Andy could put two and two together. He’d even suggested which trail they might start out on. But Jaime had done her own research for that. The New You clinic had rented two vans with drivers. Destination, Buena Vista.

Jaime shook her head. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that no one in his right mind would hike into the backcountry to assassinate the daughter of a senator. Especially if they couldn’t be assured of which trail to take. And of course there would be ten potential witnesses. As Special Agent Ramsey had said, it’d be much simpler to just whack her as she left her office one day.

“Then what the hell am I doing here?” she murmured. Then she smiled. “Oh yeah. Vacation.”

She shoved the trail map into her back pocket and walked down the hill to wait. If her guess was right, they’d be upon her within the hour. Then, it was just a matter of her joining their group. At the stream, she took off her backpack and leaned against a rock. It was warm and she shed the flannel shirt she’d worn over her Tshirt that morning. Folding it neatly, she tucked it into her pack then took off one boot. A sprained ankle was as good an excuse as any. She pulled out an Ace bandage and wrapped it around her ankle and waited.

And waited. And waited. Jesus, how long could it take them?

She frowned. What if her guess was wrong? What if they hadn’t taken this trail at all?

She picked up a rock and tossed it into the stream, wondering how long she should wait for them. It was quiet and peaceful.

Normally, she would relish this time. Usually twice each summer she escaped for an extended trip, saving her vacation time during the year to allow at least a weeklong trip each time. She normally went alone, only occasionally joining others. But she always enjoyed her solitary trips the most. And truthfully, she’d never been out two weeks straight. She’d done a ten-day hike once between Aspen and Crested Butte and had thoroughly enjoyed the time alone but had welcomed the company when she’d reached the old mining town of Crested Butte. She’d spent two whole days in the bar, she recalled, with a redhead named Gretta.

Finally, nearly an hour and a half later, she heard voices. Female voices. She shifted her position, sticking out her supposedly injured leg and waited. She felt like an idiot and she very nearly started laughing. Why would she assume Michaels would stop for her and even then, ask her to join their group? She couldn’t very well tag along uninvited.

Could she?

Sara saw the woman sitting by the rock and slowed her steps. Of course, it was not uncommon to come upon other hikers but still, she was wary.

“She looks like she’s hurt,” Abby said.

“Uh-huh,” Sara murmured.

“Can we rest?” Sandra called from the back.

Sara smiled. They’d only been on the trail a little more than an hour and most of that had been level, only rising slightly in the last fifteen minutes.

The woman raised her hand in greeting and Sara did the same, stopping a few feet away.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, just twisted my ankle a bit. Nothing too serious.”

Sara took off her pack and the others did the same. She squatted down beside the woman.

“I can take a look if you want.”

“Thanks but I’ve wrapped it. It should be okay.”

Sara surveyed the woman, noting worn jeans and scuffed hiking boots. Her light brown hair was cut short and brushed away from her face, a face that was marred only by a smattering of freckles on each cheek. Sara glanced at the woman’s pack, noticing that it had seen a trip or two and she relaxed. This woman obviously meant them no harm. She offered her hand.

“I’m Sara.” Her hand was captured in a warm grip and she squeezed back.

“Jaime. Nice to meet you.”

The woman’s eyes were dark but friendly. “Where you headed?”

Jaime smiled. It was just too easy. “Taking the trail along the Collegiate Peaks. Just starting out, actually.” She raised her foot.

“This might set me back a day or so.”

“We’re heading the same way,” Abby said. She knelt down beside Sara. “Are you alone?”

“Yeah. I enjoy the solitude. Gives you time to think.”

“I can’t imagine coming out here all alone.”

“Well, you get used to it.”

“I was going to say you could join us,” Abby said, motioning with her arm to the others. “But this isn’t exactly being alone.”

Sara stood quickly. “I doubt she’d want to tag along with us, Abby.”

Jaime looked up and smiled. “Well, I might not mind the company for a day or so,” she said. “If you guys don’t.”

“What’s one more?” Abby asked.

Sara cleared her throat. “Actually, I don’t want to be rude … well, I will be rude. You can’t join us.”

Jaime raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“We’re … a group. It’s kind of a … a therapy hike.”

“Therapy hike?” Jaime grinned. “I see. All women. You’re either doing a male-bashing session or you’re all lesbians. Which is it?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll fit into either, I assure you.”

Abby and Lou Ann laughed. “Come on, Sarge, she’s injured. We can’t leave her here alone.”

She turned and looked at the expectant faces around her. She’d been taking these trips three times a year for the last three years and never once had they happened upon a stranded hiker. Was it just a coincidence or was her earlier uneasiness getting the best of her?

The woman looked harmless enough. She was obviously a seasoned backpacker judging by her worn pack and hiking boots. And no doubt, once her twisted ankle improved, she would be leaving the group. She shrugged. What could it hurt for a day or so?

“Okay. You can tag along with us for the day.”

Jaime smiled. “I appreciate it. I hope I don’t slow you down.”

“No, no. You can hang back here with me,” Sandra offered.

Abby reached down to shake her hand. “I’m Abby.” She turned to the woman beside her. “This is Lou Ann. I won’t bother you with everyone’s name, you’ll never remember them. But that’s Sandra at the back. She’ll talk your ear off.”

“Great,” Jaime said with a smile. She turned and met the bluegreen eyes of Sara Michaels. Suspicious blue-green eyes, she noted. Well, that’s good. At least she wasn’t so trusting as to allow just anyone to get close. Jaime assumed she’d have her work cut out for her as Michaels took off down the trail, leaving the women to follow. She quickly put her boot back on and laced it, looking up as a plump older woman with god-awful bleached hair stared back at her. Then the woman offered her hand and she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

“What’s your name?”

“Jaime.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Jaime. You just limp all you need to and I’ll stick right beside you. They won’t leave me behind.”

“Thanks.” Jaime took a step, reminding herself to go slow. “It actually feels better already.”

“Can’t be too careful. I had a broken foot once. Had it run over by a motorcycle, cast up to here,” she pointed to her knee. “Was on crutches for five weeks. My arms were so sore …”

Jaime rolled her eyes as she let Sandra’s monologue drift away.

Up ahead, the others walked, most in single file, with Sara Michaels leading the way. She was certainly different than Jaime imagined.

The woman in the picture had been in a business suit, not faded jeans and a denim shirt. And the blond hair had been styled, not the short, windblown look she sported today. She was sexy as hell. Jaime grinned. Yes, you have to get your perks wherever you could.

Jaime nodded at the appropriate times during Sandra’s nonstop talking, trying to listen to conversations up ahead. The others, mostly in groups of two or three, talked quietly among themselves. Except for Sara Michaels. She walked alone, a few feet ahead of the others.

Sara kept an even pace, ignoring the desire to go faster to test their tagalong hiker. She glanced back occasionally, seeing the woman nodding at something Sandra was telling her. She only hoped Sandra wasn’t revealing who they were or why they were up here. The last thing they needed was some outsider asking a hundred questions. Everything they’d learned in the last ten weeks should be embedded by now. There was no need to talk about it.

Once the last session ended, that was it. Even among themselves, these last two weeks hiking was to be among friends. They weren’t to discuss the sessions.

But now, they had an outsider. And it would be too easy to undo all the weeks of hard work they’d been through, with just a few innocent questions. No, she couldn’t allow it. Tonight, she would speak to this Jaime person. She would tell her about their group and ask her to use discretion when talking to the others. If not, she would just refuse to allow her to join them.

“Right,” she whispered.
And how do you propose to do that?
She grinned. Tie her to a tree?

“Sarge?”

Sara turned.

“Sandra and Jaime are lagging behind,” Abby said.

“Of course they are,” Sara murmured. She stopped, allowing the others to catch up. Sandra and a slightly limping Jaime brought up the rear. “How are we doing back there?”

“Just … peachy,” Jaime said, forcing a smile to her face. Sandra had not stopped talking the entire time.

“Oh, this isn’t hard at all, Ms. Michaels. Just trying to keep a slow pace for Jaime,” Sandra said as she labored to catch her breath.

“How about we stop for a little lunch?”

“Now that’s a good idea,” Sandra said, shrugging off her pack.

They all crowded under the shade of a ponderosa pine and rummaged into their packs, pulling out apples and cheese. All but Sandra. She pulled out a slightly smashed sandwich.

“How many of those you got in there?” Jaime asked.

“A couple. Ms. Michaels said to pack light. This tuna sandwich weighs less than an apple.”

Jaime laughed. “And tastes better too.”

“What you got in there?”

“Bananas and apples.”

“Rabbit food. I swear, I’m going to lose twenty pounds on this trip,” Sandra said, then patted her ample stomach. “Not that I couldn’t stand to do that, mind you. But I figured, at least the first day, I could eat something other than fruit.”

“Yeah. By the end of the trip, you’re going to hate freeze-dried meals.”

“Sandra, what the hell are you eating?” Abby demanded.

Sandra looked up sheepishly as she chewed. “Tuna sandwich,” she said around a mouthful.

“Tuna?” Abby waved her apple. “Tuna? Did you pack a steak for dinner too?”

“I would have, if I didn’t think I’d have to share it ten ways.”

Sara shook her head. If anyone bucked the fruit and cheese rule, it would be Sandra. She watched as Jaime peeled a banana and took a bite, then looked away as brown eyes tried to capture her own.

She bit into her apple, instead looking up the trail. It would be their first real climb. Soon, they would leave the scrub oaks and pines behind and climb higher into the mountains, spruce and fir trees replacing the ponderosas that dominated the lower elevations.