Morgan's Hunter by Cate Beauman Page A

impossible.”
    He smiled again, shrugging slightly. “Don’t worry about it.” He walked to the truck, got in, drove down the narrow access road.
    Morgan entered the shed as the door slammed shut in the breeze. She pulled the string to the light. Dust danced around the bulb, making her cough. The storage shed was jammed full of tools, rope, shovels, and other items the rangers would use to aid them in their job. In the corner was her equipment.
    Before unlocking the two metal cases the Bureau had shipped, she walked to the door, opened it, found a rock to rest against the wood. Satisfied, she brushed her hands free of dirt and headed back to the cases. After a thorough inspection and run through her checklist, she noted that everything was present.
    Fresh air blew into the small, mildewed building. Morgan looked past the doorway to the tall pines in the distance. Birds twittered among the trees. She took the camera from one case, the tranquilizer gun from the other as the thought of a walk tempted her. Taking pictures would be so relaxing. If she was lucky she might get a few good shots of the local fauna.
    Hunter had told her to stay close, but she wouldn’t go far. Walking half a mile, maybe a mile down a trail wasn’t a big deal. She was taking precautions. She patted the gun tucked in the waist of her jeans. She would be back before he noticed, anyway.
    Morgan locked the case again, turned to leave and ran straight into Robert. “Oh, Robert, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were there.” She dropped her hand from her heart. “I was just heading out for a walk.”
    “No problem, Ms. Taylor. I apologize for scaring you.”
    “Not at all. Please, call me Morgan. Which path do you recommend? I’m looking for a little exercise.”
    “If you head down the southwest trail, you might spot a deer or two. It’s not particularly common this time of day, but you never know.”
    “I guess I’ll mosey down that way. I’ll be back soon.” She took two steps, stopped. “Robert, I want to apologize for my associate. We got off on the wrong foot.”
    “Don’t you worry yourself over that now. Losing close friends is upsetting.”
    Morgan was about to tell him they weren’t Hunter’s friends, but she stopped herself. “Yes, yes, it is. I’m going to be on my way. See you soon.”

    Twenty minutes later, Morgan sat in a clearing just off the path of the southwest trail. Her light jacket lay on the ground with the tranquilizer gun at her side. She breathed in clean, crisp air and relaxed as a hawk circled overhead, letting out a high-pitched screech. The mighty Rockies, snowcapped and gray in the distance, took her breath away. She’d needed this, the tranquility, the peace she hadn’t been able to find in the weeks since her friends’ deaths. She closed her eyes, let her mind clear, let her worry and guilt vanish, knowing it would all be back to haunt and weigh her down before long.
    Refreshed, Morgan opened her eyes, blinking against the sunshine. She caught sight of a mama mule deer and her two babies and grinned. She watched, delighted, as the mother grazed on the lush, green grasses while one of the calves suckled. Morgan laughed as the calf’s sibling moved in for his turn, despite his sister’s annoyed bleats and head butts.
    Enjoying the show, Morgan picked up her camera, focused on her shot, started taking pictures. She stood, walking farther into the clearing, looking for a new angle. She never heard him come up behind her.
    Hunter tossed his luggage in the closet, not bothering to unpack. There wasn’t any place to put his stuff anyway. He turned around, let out a deep sigh as he studied their sleeping arrangements again. The twin beds were so close they might as well have been a full-sized mattress. He and Morgan would more or less be sharing a bed for the next month.
    After he put the extra bullets for the Glock in the bottom of his pack, he headed out to see if Morgan finished her inventory.