Free - Hard Fall by James Buchanan Page A

pictures, it'll be around and that might prove that he's not lying through his teeth." I finished sorting my rope and shoved it into my pack.
    "No camera, Gunter's story falls apart."
    "Well, we can go out in the morning." Kabe picked up another pebble from the stair and tossed it at my patrol car.
    It pinged on the hood. "That thing got four-wheel drive?"
    "Yep, but not the kind for serious off-road. My sedan ain't gonna make it back there." I looked around. I knew T had more than one pickup: his own newish one and then one that'd seen more service than a mule on a canyon tour. "Use T's old truck?"
    Kabe shook his head. "George has it in Cedar City, went down for groceries."
    "Okay, well, you got an ATV."
    "We're not doing the ATV." He coughed. "Not going to happen, dude."
    "Hey, the nearest off-road vehicle for the department is in Panguitch. If I go back, find Diamond and wait for her to bring it 'round after her shift ends tomorrow, I won't be back here at the ranch house 'till noon. We'll lose almost all the 72

    Hard Fall
    by James Buchanan
    daylight. I figure if we go back first light it gives me a good lot of time to search."
    "You don't need me out there." Where this sudden shyness came from I didn't have any idea. "I'd get in your way."
    Okay, maybe he just didn't like not being on the offensive.
    Too bad. "Going into the back country, where I might need to climb, too stupid to do it alone. So, yeah I do need you. And two can ride the ATV you know."
    Kabe ran his hands up and down his thighs. "No they can't." There'd been suspects I'd busted who acted less nervous.
    I leaned in. "I don't bite."
    "That's not it." He swallowed and a little bit of red crept up his neck, making his skin darker still. I could almost smell the worry in him. It added a spicy edge to the scent of a guy who'd been climbing most of the day. "Belt's busted. I tore back from the site yesterday. Wasn't paying the greatest attention, I guess, and thrashed it about a mile down the road. Ran the rest of the way back to the house."
    You don't know how hard it was not to drool over that image. Sweat running down Kabe's chest, back, face, pounding down the trail with all those muscles working overtime. I got to get out more often, 'cause these fantasies would drive me nuts. 'Course now I figured where that fear came from. "T ain't gonna hold that against you, no how." I grinned and slapped his thigh. "Okay, well, I guess it's my day off, I could take my truck. Probably best anyhow. I'll pick up the rest of my rack and my gear. You still got yours 73

    Hard Fall
    by James Buchanan
    packed up? We'll be up all day, best to be prepared if we get stuck out there."
    "Yeah, camping stuff's still strapped to the ATV," a weight seemed to come off his shoulders with my reassurance. "But I can take Buddy out and haul it back."
    "You know," I snorted, "there's some kinda justice that you're going to use a mule to tow a broken four-wheeler back to the ranch." Then I stood and stretched. "I'll meet you back here at first light. Can you be up that early?"
    "Yeah." Kabe stood too. "Most of my climbs start before dawn." There was a little wistful note in his voice.
    Darn, he probably wanted me to stay, give some excuse.
    And I could, Lord knew I could, but something told me not to make it easy on him. A guy like him probably hadn't been turned down much. And like he'd said that morning, I didn't want to be seen as a pushover. Heck, if he was here for the whole length of his parole, it gave me two years to make it hard on him. Not that I'd wait that long. I smiled to myself and headed toward my car. As I pulled open the door, I shot the grin back at him. "I just never know with city folk, y'all are a strange breed."
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    74

    Hard Fall
    by James Buchanan

Chapter Five
    "So, how long we gonna keep at this?"
    I looked over to see Kabe plunking his butt on a log and swigging water from his bottle. Sweat darkened his shirt in a V down the front. His