Part 17 (1/2)

”Sorry.”

”Why?”

”I, uh...”

”Shut up, Cameron. My fingers can dial too. Hang on a second.” The sound of Bono singing ”I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For” in the background snapped off.

Cameron snorted out a laugh. The timing of the song would be much funnier if he wasn't the b.u.t.t of the joke.

”Okay, tell me what you want.”

He smiled. When it came to geology, few were better than Scotty. When it came to tact, no one was worse. He wouldn't be able to look up subtle subtle in a dictionary for a thousand bucks and Cameron loved him for it. in a dictionary for a thousand bucks and Cameron loved him for it.

”I need a favor, Scotty.”

”Anything.”

”I'm going to overnight you a rock. I need you to examine it fast, see what kind of stone it is, that kind of thing...”

”No problem. I'll get you the composition, age, where it's from-”

”I know where it's from. Three Peaks.”

”What state?”

”Oregon.”

”What're you doing there, Cam?”

”Looking for a book G.o.d wrote, that records the past and tells the future.”

Scotty snorted. ”That's how you're wasting your time these days? If I thought you were serious, I'd tell you how stupid you are.”

”Thanks.”

”Your timing is decent. I can do it tomorrow afternoon and give you the stats tomorrow night. Will that work?”

”Perfect. I owe you.”

”If I added up all your IOUs, Vaux, I'd be traveling in Europe forever and you'd never be able to reach me.”

Cameron hung up, watched the wind rustle the tops of the trees, and smiled. The pieces were appearing. Maybe he was losing his mind, but he wouldn't stop trying till this puzzle was locked into place.

CHAPTER 20.

Ann slowed her pace slightly on the dirt road on Monday afternoon and glanced at the woods around her. Why had she let herself get so far from civilization? She wasn't worried about being alone in these woods. It was just ... Okay, she was worried. She'd seen too many stories of women who disappeared in her exact situation.

Her pedometer said she'd come 4.7 miles. Time to head back to Three Peaks.

But the solitude of the rutted logging road and the pines sending out waves of perfume muted her fear and pulled her around one more corner, then one more, and one more.

Out here she could think. About the multiple reasons she'd come to Three Peaks-but mostly about the game she was playing with herself when it came to Cameron.

In her mind there was no game. The answer was clear. Stay away. G.o.d was her life. Cameron wasn't even sure G.o.d existed. Never the two shall meet. But her heart said game on.

Why not? Jessie had done it.

Yeah and Ann had seen what it did to her. Jessie prayed for Cameron daily, waiting for him to fall in love with Jesus, but he never did. And though she'd kept it from him, it broke her heart.

Ann picked up her pace, timing her strides so her feet landed on the shadows the trees cast on the dirt road.

She'd relaxed too much at the movie theater and let her feelings seep out of her heart, into her mannerisms and reactions. Did Cameron notice?

And what about him?

Sideways glances at her when he didn't think she saw. The look in his eyes last night when she turned to wave good-bye. On top of the mountain he looked at her the way he used to look at Jessie.

She slapped her hip hard. What was she thinking? In a few days he'd be back in Seattle, she'd be in Portland, and they would go back to pretending they didn't know each other.

It wouldn't go anywhere. It couldn't couldn't go anywhere. Not with his agnosticism- go anywhere. Not with his agnosticism- Behind her an engine surged. She grabbed her iPod and put Josh Groban's crooning on hold and looked for cover. There! There! An opening a few yards ahead. She sprinted for the horseshoe-shaped clearing, scampered off the road, and squatted behind a large juniper tree. An opening a few yards ahead. She sprinted for the horseshoe-shaped clearing, scampered off the road, and squatted behind a large juniper tree.

Ann laughed at herself. Relax. Relax. Yes, the road seemed abandoned, but that didn't mean cars couldn't drive on it. But something inside her pinged danger and she obeyed the sensation. She peered toward the path, hoping nothing more than her eyes would show through the underbrush. Yes, the road seemed abandoned, but that didn't mean cars couldn't drive on it. But something inside her pinged danger and she obeyed the sensation. She peered toward the path, hoping nothing more than her eyes would show through the underbrush.

Ten seconds later a Ford Expedition bounced into view, pounding over the washboard road. Ann held her breath as the SUV pa.s.sed her hiding spot. What was wrong with her? Cars were allowed to drive on dirt roads. The road seemed like it would be difficult to traverse by car and had been tough to find. But she was the one from out of town. The road might be frequently traveled by the people of Three Peaks. It probably was.

The sound of the Ford's engine faded.

Easing out from her hiding place, she breathed deep and looked up. Thank You, G.o.d. Thank You, G.o.d. She didn't feel like having company out here. She didn't feel like having company out here.

Her mind returned to Cameron and what he- The whine of the SUV accelerating pierced her thoughts. The Expedition was backing up. A second later it came into view; too fast for her to scurry back behind the juniper tree. A tinted window rolled down revealing the wide grin of Jason Judah.

He parked, eased out, and sauntered around the side of the Ford. Leaning against the pa.s.senger side door, he lit a cigar and took off his shades.

”You are a hard woman to track.” He spread his arms. ”But here I am. I can't deny that Nam gave me a few useful skills.”

”What are you doing here?” Adrenaline pumped through her. This was not the scenario she wanted to be in with Jason. Menace oozed out of the man. She'd felt it the first time they'd met, and being miles from anywhere, from anyone, the feeling intensified.

During her years of working in television, she'd been in the center of hostile gangs in downtown Portland, been in white-water rafts where she'd come a razor's edge from death-but this man made those situations seem mild. The inner bell of intuition that screamed danger rang double-time.

”How are you, Ann?” Jason took two steps forward.

”You followed me. What do you want?”

”Tracked. Followed. I suppose it's the same thing.” Two more steps.