Untraceable. Elizabeth Goddard
NO WAY OUT
Colleen Brennan has one goal—take down her sister’s killer. But chasing after evidence leaves her in the path of a tornado and stranded in an Amish community. With the killer nearby, Colleen must depend on the kindness of Special Agent Frank Gallagher. Although the army officer is recuperating from a battlefield injury, he wants to help the beautiful woman he rescued from the tornado’s fury. He can tell she’s hiding something important. But getting her to reveal her secrets may be his most dangerous mission ever.
Military Investigations: Serving their country and solving crimes
“Did you try to radio for help?”
He nodded. “Couldn’t get through.”
“Isaiah, what if he’d caught you?” Heidi crawled closer to him in the tent. “He’ll kill you if he finds out.”
He started to speak but she pressed her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say he’s going to kill us anyway. I don’t want to hear it. There has to be another way… Why don’t we overpower them, get the guns back. Something.” She hated the trembling that crept into her voice along with rising panic.
“If we get the chance, we will. But I need to tell you something.” He gripped her shoulders. “I found the missing gang member’s body yesterday.”
Covering her mouth, she sobbed softly. Isaiah pulled her to him and held her. His arms felt strong around her.
“Heidi, he might not be the last person to die as we make it through these mountains. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded. The harsh environment would pick them off, one by one. Then maybe they could worry about fighting whoever was left. But she didn’t get the chance to voice her thoughts on his words.
Outside the tent, gunfire resounded through the icy mountains.
ELIZABETH GODDARD is an award-winning author of over twenty novels, including the romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—winner of a prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her four children and become a professional writer. In addition to writing, she homeschools her children and serves with her husband in ministry.
Untraceable
Elizabeth Goddard
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
—Psalms 30:5
This story is dedicated to search and rescue teams everywhere, to men and women who volunteer their time, money and skills and willingly place themselves in danger to find and rescue complete strangers. And of course, all my stories are dedicated to my family—my three sons, Christopher, Jonathan and Andrew, and my daughter, Rachel (and new son-in-law, Richard), and my husband, Dan—for giving me the time and space I need to create new worlds and characters. You guys rock!
Writers don’t work in a vacuum, especially if they’re novelists. I couldn’t write without the encouragement and support I receive from my writing buddies—Lisa Harris, Shannon McNear and Lynette Sowell, and many more—so glad God brought us together on this writing journey!
I’d also like to thank my friends in Juneau who provided me with invaluable material regarding specific information—Doug Wessen, a community leader and SAR hero extraordinaire. And thanks to Teresa, a writing friend in Juneau who works for the US Forest Service. You’re always available with just the right answer or photograph. Thanks to Bill Glude of the Alaska Avalanche Center for his assistance, and for training search and rescue volunteers. Any mistakes are mine alone either by accident or on purpose in taking artistic license to create a more adventurous and appealing story world.
Contents
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
Dear Reader
“Off rappel!”
Heidi adjusted her night vision goggles at her brother Cade’s call up the rocky cliff face from below. The snow-covered, mountainous landscape looked green and black, but at least she could see instead of stumbling around in the dark and falling to her death. Even though the moon was out in full force, this side of the mountain remained in the shadows.
The helicopter had dropped them off as close as possible to the summit, but they’d still had to hike another two hours to get to the place where they would rappel down to the trapped climbers, at least one of them injured, or so the three rescuers—Heidi and Cade Warren and Isaiah Callahan—had been informed.
As a member of North Face Mountain Search and Rescue—like the other Warren siblings—this was only the second time Heidi had climbed at night, and she shoved aside the unpleasant memory of the first. There was enough tension