Phantom Warriors: Riot Read online

  “Figured you would. I tried, but she was too fast for me,” Lulu said.

  Nina glanced at Lulu’s boots. There wasn’t a drop of mud on them. She arched a brow, but said nothing. Nina reached down and rolled up her pant legs, then grabbed a pair of gloves before stepping into the pen. Her boots sank down six inches. She took a step. Her boots made a sucking noise as mud and pig excrement covered her feet. She waded across the enclosure, slowly herding the pigs into a corner.

  She let the first two piglets rush past her as she singled out Daisy. Nina reached for the piglet. She managed to get her hand on its back leg. Daisy let out an ear-piercing squeal, her little hooves spinning madly in the mud. Muck flew into Nina’s face, splattering her cheek as she lifted the piglet into her arms.

  ***

  Riot heard a high-pitched screech, echoing through the woods. The sound was loud, which meant it was coming from nearby. The squealing continued. What was it? And what was killing it?

  Curious, he made his way through the woods toward the horrendous sound. A yard filled with livestock came into view. He stopped, keeping to the shadows. There were two women standing in the yard, discussing an object between them. One was wearing a long skirt with a flowery shirt. She was a big woman, hearty and full of health. The other smaller female wore jeans and boots. She appeared to be holding something pale and squirming in her arms. There was another loud squeal. The object in her arms tried to escape and the smaller woman turned to catch it before it dropped to the ground.

  Riot’s breath seized, when he glimpsed the woman’s mud smudged face. Her features were delicate and lightly browned. She had full lips, long lashes, and high cheekbones. Her long, dark hair had been pulled back and tied at her nape. She smiled, flashing a row of slightly crooked teeth, as she caught the squirming creature.

  “Get back here, Daisy.” She pulled the animal close once more and scratched it lovingly behind its ears. The squealing quieted and so did its struggles, giving her time to carefully examining its face.

  Riot stared, mesmerized by her soft brown eyes and caring manner.

  “Lulu, can you please hand me my bag?”

  The woman wearing the skirt reached for something on the ground and handed it to her. “I’m going to give Daisy to you. Hold her close, so I can clean and disinfect her wound.”

  She handed the pale pink creature over to the woman and reached into her bag. She pulled out cloth, wetted it with a clear liquid, then carefully dabbed at the animal’s nose. “It’s just a scratch,” she said. “Looks like one of the other pigs might’ve bit her.”

  Lulu glanced at the pen and frowned. “Will she be okay if we put her back inside?”

  The woman nodded. “I’ve cleaned the wound and put some medicine on it. Pigs are pretty hardy, so you shouldn’t have any problems with infection. If it looks like it’s getting worse, give me a call.”

  “Thanks Nina.”

  Nina…her name whispered on the air, bringing to mind cool breezes and sweet, fragrant wildflowers. Riot inhaled, but could only detect the odor of the livestock. He continued to stare, caressing her body with his eyes, longing to get closer. Something about the way she handled the animal drew his beast. It rose inside of him.

  Nina’s head shot up and she gazed into the woods, her brown eyes searching the shadows.

  “What is it?” Lulu asked, doing the same.

  A smile played on Riot’s lips as he took a step back. She’d sensed him. For some reason, the idea thrilled him. She may not be able to see him, but she certainly knew he was there. He looked at the smudge on her cheek, longing to brush it off with his fingertips. The women continued to stare at the woods.

  She shrugged. “I thought I…it’s nothing.” Nina shook her head and gave the creature in Lulu’s arms one final scratch behind the ears.

  Riot watched her gather her things and walk back to her vehicle. He looked at the truck, memorizing everything about it, so he’d be able to find it again. He wasn’t going to get his hopes up. This woman may turn out to be like all the others. Even as the thought slipped through his mind, he dismissed it. There was something different about this woman. “Nina,” he whispered her name aloud. “See you soon.”

  ***

  Nina couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. At first when she’d felt the sensation, she’d dismissed it. But when it grew stronger, she could no longer ignore what her body was telling her. She scanned the woods, searching the tree-line.

  Despite it being midday, the shadows were deep and could easily conceal someone who didn’t want to be seen. Warmth scrolled down her body, pausing long enough on her beasts to make her nipples harden. Nina swallowed hard and rolled her shoulders. She didn’t ‘see’ anything, but there was definitely someone there. She’d lay money on that someone being a male. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Maybe she was just tired, but that didn’t explain her body’s reaction. Nina could still feel the eyes on her as she drove back to the office.

  The rest of the day was uneventful. Nina checked on her patients and finished the last of her paperwork. Numbers swam before her eyes as she stared at the Balance Sheet. If they didn’t get more business, they’d have to close the office. There were clinics nearby, but none like theirs, in the heart of Cherokee. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

  “Hard at work I see.” Kim Watt poked her head in Nina’s office.

  “What are you doing here?” Nina rose and came around her desk to hug her friend.

  “I was out shopping for wedding decorations and thought I’d drop by. How are you doing?” Kim’s sharp gaze took in the dark circles under Nina’s eyes and her disheveled clothes. “You aren’t sleeping, are you?”

  Nina sighed.

  “That good, eh?” Kim squeezed her hand. “What is that on your face?”

  She laughed. “Pig crap most likely.”

  Kim’s face scrunched. “Eww.”

  Nina grabbed a wet towel and dabbed her cheek. She met her best friend’s caring gaze. “He’s not getting better,” she said. She didn’t have to say who. Kim already knew.

  “I’m sorry, hon. I really am,” she said.

  Nina scrubbed harder. The pain on her cheek distracted her from the pain burning inside of her. “I know. I’ve been praying for a miracle.”

  Kim hugged her again. “We all have.”

  She blinked back her tears. “Are we still on for tomorrow night?”

  Kim’s face brightened. “I wouldn’t miss it.” She grinned.

  “Is Danny okay with you going into the woods with me?” Nina couldn’t imagine Kim’s fiancé, who also happened to be a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department, being okay with his future bride traipsing through the woods destroying poachers’ illegal bear traps.

  Kim blushed and glanced away. “I didn’t exactly tell him that’s what we were doing. I might’ve said that we were having a bachelorette night.”

  Which was the truth, and a lie. This was what they were doing instead of the bachelorette party. “What if he finds out?” Nina asked. She was happy for her best friend, but she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy that Kim had someone to go home to. What would that be like? She couldn’t imagine. For the last two years, she had been spent all of her time either working or taking her grandfather to doctor’s visits. Dating and having a social life were foreign concepts and would remain so as long as Harold was in the hospital.

  Kim shook her head. “Danny won’t find out, unless you tell him.” She winked.

  Nina snorted. “You know that’s never going to happen.” Danny Alberty had never cared for her. Oh, he’d tolerated Nina because of her close friendship with Kim, but he didn’t really like her. The feeling was mutual. One good thing she could say about Kim’s fiancé was that he treated her best friend well. Nina knew Danny was counting the days until the wedding, since it meant that they’d be moving away. Fresh pain blossomed around Nina’s heart. Soon everyone she cared about would be gone.

  “
I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kim nudged her out of her maudlin thoughts.

  “See you then.” Nina finished the day and dropped by the hospital once more before returning to her empty home. Without Harold there, the place seemed so quiet…so very lonely. There was nothing to do but go to bed and start all over again tomorrow.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Nina dressed in black, despite the dangers of traipsing through the woods near hunting season without reflective clothing on. It was safer to wear the orange reflectors, but if she did that, then the poachers might spot her. Or worse yet, a Sheriff’s Deputy. She didn’t want anyone catching her, or Kim, in the woods tonight. What they were doing was risky enough. She glanced at the clock. Her best friend would be here any minute.

  She tugged on her boots and quickly laced them up. The hiking boots would allow her to move quicker, and hopefully protect her ankles on the uneven terrain. There was a full moon scheduled for tonight, but they wouldn’t be able to tell beneath the canopy of trees. She’d pulled out a map of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Qualla Boundary earlier, circling spots that would be likely for poachers to set up traps.

  Every year she went out hoping to not find them and every year she came back disappointed. Some people just couldn’t abide by the hunting laws. She stood and stomped her feet to make sure her boots were secure. Nina heard the screen door creak. It was followed by a loud knock.

  Kim opened the door without waiting for her to answer. “You ready to go?”

  “Just about.” Nina grabbed her hat and shoved it on her head, then took in her friend’s outfit with an eye toward stealth. “If moonlight hits it, they might spot your silver necklace.”

  Kim’s hands rose to her throat. “Oh, I forgot all about that. I had to dress up a little since this is supposed to be my bachelorette party. If hadn’t, Danny would’ve known something was up.” She winked and flicked the latch on her necklace. Kim pulled the chain off, gently placing it on Nina’s table. “How’s that?”

  “Better,” Nina frowned at her friend’s running shoes. “Where are your boots?”

  “They’re in the car. I couldn’t exactly wear them out of the house without Danny getting suspicious,” Kim said. “He was upset enough at the thought that you might’ve hired a male stripper.”

  Nina snorted. “Could you imagine?”

  Kim shook her head. “No, I can’t.” She made a gyrating motion with her hips and burst into giggles.

  Nina pointed to the necklace. “Remember to pick it up before you go home. Don’t want to make Danny jealous for no reason.”

  Kim chuckled. “Danny doesn’t get jealous. He just shows all the guys his big gun.”

  Nina laughed. “The last thing we need is him showing up tonight, waving his big gun around.”

  Her friend flushed. “No, that wouldn’t be good.” She glanced at her watch. “I can’t stay out all night. He may not be the jealous type, but he is a cop and I don’t want to worry him.”

  “We’ll be back in plenty of time for your curfew,” Nina said.

  Kim swatted at her. “Very funny.”

  Nina pulled a face and Kim laughed harder.

  “Have you given any more thought to that blind date I told you about last week?” Kim asked.

  The humor fled from Nina’s face. “You know I don’t have time to date. What with Harold being so sick.”

  Kim looked at her. “You know I love you, so I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I think you use Harold’s illness as an excuse to keep your distance.”

  Nina blanched. “That’s crazy.”

  “Is it, hon? Really?” Kim asked. “I thought so at first, but then I realized that you were like this before Harold got sick.”

  “I was not,” Nina said defensively. She’d been busy building her veterinary practice. That took time away from everything, including her social life.

  Kim sighed. “I know you’re lonely, NiNi. I’m your best friend. I know you better than anyone and I’m worried about you. You can’t keep your life on hold indefinitely.”

  “I’m not.” She sighed. “I won’t.”

  Kim stared at her. “What are you going to do after my wedding?”

  Pain pinched Nina’s chest. “Work, what else?”

  “There’s more to life than work.”

  Nina forced herself to meet Kim’s knowing gaze. “I’m fine on my own. You know that.”

  She shook her head. “No, you’re not. That’s why I hate to see you pushing perfectly nice guys away.”

  Perfectly nice guys? When had she met a ‘perfectly nice guy’? “Are you talking about Rick?”

  “Yes,” Kim said.

  Nina fought the urge to roll her eyes. She’d met Rick through Kim. He’d ‘accidentally’ bumped into them when they were out to lunch. The man spent the entire hour discussing his guns. To be polite, Nina had feigned interest. Rick took it as encouragement. She’d been dodging him ever since. “I don’t want to date a Sheriff’s Deputy,” Nina said diplomatically.

  “Then don’t!” Kim said. “But date someone. Anyone. It’s not healthy to have more contact with animals than you do people.”

  “I don’t—” Nina stopped mid-sentence as Kim arched a brow. It wasn’t her fault that animals were more reliable and far better company than most of the people she’d met over the years. She rubbed the back of her neck. “Maybe I have been avoiding the dating pool.” She grudgingly acknowledged.

  “The first step is admitting that you have a problem.” Kim grinned.

  “Very funny.”

  “It’s time to take off the water wings and get wet. Promise me that you’ll at least talk to the next guy that captures your interest.”

  Nina sighed. “I promise, Mom.” How long had it been since a man had caught her eye? She couldn’t remember. Nina looked at her best friend. Thank goodness she hadn’t given her a time limit. She had a feeling a set time would come and go before she encountered someone like that.

  Kim stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at her, shattering the seriousness of the moment. She glanced at the map laid out on the table. “So where are we going to start?”

  Nina jumped at the chance to change the subject. She walked over and pointed to one of the spots she’d circled in red. “I thought we’d check out the Qualla Boundary where it borders the park. We’ll take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Heintooga Ridge Road and pull over somewhere along the side. The woods around there are a good spot for poachers to set up their bear traps. Close enough to civilization to haul a four hundred pound bear carcass out, and yet far enough away to stay out of sight.”

  Kim’s brow furrowed. “There are a few houses along there, before you reach the park and several hiking trails. I wouldn’t think it would be smart to set up where a hiker may stumble across them. Too easy to get caught.”

  “Nobody said they were smart.” Nina rolled her eyes. “Besides, given the money they can make by selling bear gallbladders to the Asian market, it’s worth the risk.”

  “Good point.” Kim nodded. “I’m going to grab my boots and backpack out of the car, then I’ll be ready to go.”

  ***

  It didn’t take long to reach Heintooga Ridge Road. Black Camp Gap marked the entry to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If tonight wasn’t successful, then Nina planned to check in the woods off Heintooga Round Bottom Road. At least there, their vehicle wouldn’t stand out because they could park in Balsam Mountain campground. They wandered into the woods and quickly checked their bearings. The plan was to hike in a half a mile or so, and slowly circle back toward Nina’s truck.

  The woods were quiet this time of year. After the trees changed colors, most of the tourists left the area, giving the locals a chance to recover and get ready for next summers’ arrivals. Nina preferred the fall. She liked the peace that descended upon the mountains. She just wished it didn’t bring out the poachers. Daylight was fading fast. Soon the sun would drop behind the mountains and leave them in deep shadow
s. Darkness would descend an hour or two later.

  “Ready?” She turned to Kim, who once again checked her watch.

  Her face flushed with excitement. “Yep, let’s do this.”

  They hiked deeper into the woods, leaving the road behind. Dead leaves covered the forest floor, crunching beneath their boots. Despite the dense, decaying foliage on the ground, the trees were far from bare. They walked for an hour in a grid pattern to make sure they covered the area thoroughly. Nina continuously scanned the ground for bear traps and obvious bait snares, while Kim kept her gaze glued to the tops of the trees, searching for camouflaged hunting blinds.

  There shouldn’t be any in the park or on Cherokee land. The People controlled who hunted on the Qualla Boundary. They kept chatter to a minimum as they slowly worked their way through the woods. The quiet became a living, breathing thing that surrounded them. Instead of feeling cocooned, it sharpened Nina’s senses, making her hyperaware. Humans weren’t the only things they had to watch out for in the woods. There were black bear and bobcats, though neither tended to bother people if they were left alone.

  A twig snapped and the women froze, listening. The forest seemed to hold its breath. Kim pointed to a spot off to her right. Nina nodded in agreement. They waited until the regular sounds of the woods returned, then continued on. Nina caught a glint of something in the distance. She took a few steps forward, then held up her fist. Kim stopped instantly. Nina squinted and spotted the illegal snare. She pointed to the spot. Kim nodded and slid off her backpack. She reached inside and pulled out a pair of wire cutters, then handed them to Nina.

  Nina looked around, scanning the woods for movement, then slowly approached the spot. She examined the ground carefully before she took each step. The last thing she needed was to get caught in one of the traps. The snare was strung across a tree branch and dropped onto the ground. Someone had covered most of it with leaves and placed a piece of deer shank in the center, along with smaller bits of flesh scattered around the area to draw in the creature.