Chapter Thirty-Three
Justin's P.O.V.
It's getting dark now. Ariya must be holed up somewhere. I don't think she'd risk running in the dark. She might lose her sense of direction or the coyotes or bears might get her. She knows there's coyotes out here; she's heard them. I found a water bottle tucked into a tree trunk about two hours ago. It was hidden well, so it had to be her. It's the same brand I left in the barn, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was her. That was a clever move though, something I would have done. This girl is more clever than I thought.
Mike has been calling with updates. He's got nothing, not even a small sign she went his way. I've told him to head into town to warn them she's on the run. I don't think she'll head to town, but there's always a possibility she'll try to call someone. She must know someone in that big city she lives in. I must be on the right track. At least the bottle suggests I am.
My cell rings again and I wonder if Mike has found anything. Rob's name flashes on the screen and I frown. What's he doing calling me? When I pick up, I hear him say, "Who was that, Mary?"
Mary replies, "A girl called Joanna..."
"Rob? What's going on?"
"You know you asked me to call if a saw or heard from that Brett guy? I think she was here instead. Well, I'm pretty sure it was her."
"Who? Ariya?"
"Yeah. I only saw a brief glimpse of her face, but I'm pretty certain it was her. She ran off before I could get close enough to see properly. She didn't acknowledge me or even glance back at her name, so I can't be one hundred percent certain... What was she doing here?"
"It probably was her. She's on the run. I'm tracking her and the trail I'm on could lead up to your place. I'm on my way now. Don't go anywhere."
I urge Star into a lope. I'm sure she's tired and I feel bad for her. She had a long cattle drive and now she's had an extra hard day. Poor horse.
It takes me nearly two hours to get to Rob's. I had to slow down a little because I didn't want to burn Star out. I let her loose in Rob's corral and take her saddle and head stall off. She can rest while I sort this out.
Rob's on the porch when I come round to the front of the house.
"Come in, Justin."
Mary is in the living room when I step into the house. I greet her first and then get down to business.
"What happened?"
Mary speaks up, "I was bringing the washing in from the line when this girl stepped up to the back yard. She looked a mess, like she'd been in an accident."
I nod. "She didn't do anything to you, did she?"
I don't think she'd hurt a woman, but I need to check. I don't know what her state of mind is and I need to assess that before I can approach her.
"No, she didn't. She was polite and didn't want to trouble me."
That doesn't sound like the Ariya I know. Perhaps she is better at playing people than we thought.
"What did she want?"
"She asked to use the phone so she could call her family. She said her car blew it's tyre and she ended up in a ditch. She said her brother was coming to pick her up."
She doesn't have a brother. Not according to her file anyway.
"She said her name was Joanna?"
"Yeah. Did I do something wrong, Justin?"
"No, not at all. You actually might have helped me. Did she say or do anything else?"
"She had something to eat but pretty much took off when I asked her if she was in trouble. I asked her if she wanted me to call the sheriff or if she wanted Rob to drop her at her car. She took off after that, nearly running into Rob at the door."
"She sped up when I tried jogging after her. As I said, I can't be sure it was her because I didn't see her face properly, but it definitely seemed like her."
I nod. It sounds like Ariya, but that was a stupid rookie move, asking to use someone's phone. She should know better than to be seen.
"Have you used your phone since she dialed out?"
"No, only my cell."
"Can I use the phone?"
They both nod and I redial the last number. It rings for ages before someone picks up. They're out of breath when they answer, which makes me wonder what they're up to. Now is not the time to get distracted Justin.
"Yeah?"
I don't waste any time, "Who is this?"
"Dude, you called me. Don't you know who you're calling?"
Hmm, something doesn't seem right here. There aren't many ways I can get information quickly, especially over the phone, so I just take the blunt approach.
"Do you know Ariya Flynn?"
I can't tell if he's lying over the phone when he replies, "I don't know what you're talking about, man. I think you've got the wrong number."
"She called you from this number. I know she was in this house and this is the last number dialed. You must know her."
"Seriously, I'm hanging up. You're wasting my time and taking me away from my girl. I think you're being played, dude."
He hangs up and I'm left with a dial tone. Could she have done all this deliberately? Could she be throwing me off the trail? Could she have dialed a random number after her original call? It's possible, but I think it's too intricate for such a short planning time. Unless she had a plan in place all along. But she told me she wasn't going to run. I know she doesn't lie, well, I think my little barn session sort of forced her to become somewhat of a liar. I feel a bit bad for that, but I didn't and don't know what else to do with her. She's going to get herself killed with all this pent up rage.
I put the phone back on the receiver and think for a minute. She must have an extraction plan. She must have someone coming to pick her up, which means she's heading for town. She doesn't know any other landmarks or towns close by to tell someone where to get her. She only knows Baskins Creek, which means she's heading there.
I call Mike and warn him to keep a look out for her. Better to give him a heads up because he'll probably be there before her.
I turn to Rob and Mary, "I don't think she'll come back here, especially if she saw you Rob, but if she does, just be careful. I'm sure I don't need to warn you, Rob."
"No, I got it. I'll call you if she appears, but I doubt she'll do that. What's going on, J?"
"She doesn't want to stay here so she's trying to get back home."
Mary asks, "How does Rob know her?"
Despite the situation I chuckle, "You know that beating he took a while ago? Yeah, that was her."
"What?! Really?!"
"Yeah. Don't be fooled by her size or lack of it as the case may be. She's a cracking fighter. Just be careful. She won't hurt anyone unless they provoke her. Mary, you should be safe. She doesn't hit women."
They both seem confused, so I simply say, "She's complicated. Just be careful, that's all I can say."
Rob chucks me his keys and says, "Take my truck. The horse looks like she needs a break. We can trailer her back later on or something."
"Thanks man."
I meet Mike in town about an hour later. We sit in the diner with a cup of coffee each. Neither of us have eaten since breakfast and it's pretty much dark now. We should really grab something while we can. After we've ordered, I fill him in on what happened at Rob's.
He chuckles, "What are the odds? I bet she got a shock when she saw him."
"You're not wrong. Although I don't know who was more shocked, him or her. Mary looked slightly amused that he got beat up by a girl. I'd hate to be him when he explains that situation."
"Me too. So, the phone call. What are you thinking?"
"I think he's her extraction plan. I don't know who he is or how she had a plan in place, but I think he's coming to pick her up. It makes sense. She can't keep running, she knows that. We'll eventually catch up with her because she'll need to rest and find somewhere to eat. She'll run a high risk of someone seeing her and leaving a trail. She's clever, I'll give her that."
"So, we wait until someone shows up? She'll come out in the open for her ticket out of here?"
"I think so. I don't think she'll come out into the open as such, but we can at least keep a look out for her."
He nods but doesn't say anything because the waitress brings our food over.
Her almost sickly sweet voice drawls out, "Can I grab y'all anything else?"
Mike shoots her a smile, "No ma'am. Thank you."
I'm not much in a smiling mood. I'm frustrated and angry that Ariya got one over on me again. If she hadn't, my horses would have been stolen, but that doesn't mean I have to like the fact that she's in the wind.
"Not in a friendly mood, J?"
"Not at all. It makes me want to hit something..."
The next voice that speaks isn't Mike's, but Chris'.
"Well, that's not very good. I thought I taught you better than that, boy. I obviously didn't do a very good job at teaching you how to deal with your anger, did I?"
"Hey Chris. I didn't say I was going to hit something, did I? Besides, isn't it better to hit something rather than someone?"
"I guess that is true. Still no sign of the infamous Miss Flynn?"
Mike chuckles, "You call her that to her face and she might just rip your's off for you. Just ask this one."
He points at me and I send him a glare. I'm not in the mood for his teasing right now.
"She doesn't like being called by her name?"
"Not that name. She doesn't mind Ariya, but she hates being called Miss Flynn."
"Good to know. So, nothing?"
"We have a lead. I think she's heading into town so someone can pick her up. It's just a hunch though, nothing concrete."
"Your hunches are usually good."
"What's happening with the guys we found in my barn?"
"Turns out they're from a few towns over. They've been making the rounds, poaching livestock for quite some time. No one has been able to get them in the act and this is the first time we've actually seen them in the flesh. We've had sketches sent round, so they'll be charged in Cherokee because that's where most of the poaching took place. We can't really charge them for anything here as they never actually took anything. Plus, our only witness is in the wind. Not that she'd give much credibility to the story. She's a criminal herself, who ran away. Not to mention that they're going to say she was tied up in the barn and then went crazy at them. You can see why I'm sending them to someone else, right?"
I sigh, "Yeah, I get it. There's nothing to charge them with and if you keep them here then you risk getting us, meaning me, in trouble. Thanks. But I don't think she's lying about them trying to steal the horses. I know she ran, but that's because of me, not because she's guilty of anything. Not this time, at least. I made her run and I have to fix that."
"Admitting you're wrong, Justin? I did teach you something, then?"
I almost snap at him, but I remember who he is and who I am before the words leave my mouth. This whole situation has me twisted in knots. I've never lost a resident and I've never lost a soldier either. Trust Ariya to be the first one.
"Of course you taught me something, Chris. You taught me a lot of stuff. Just not how to deal with someone like Ariya. She's... hard work."
"And you think you weren't? Do you know how close to being bald you made me? A lot, trust me. The end result makes the hard work worth it. Look at you, you're angry as hell, but you're not pounding on someone. That's major progress. You're dealing with your anger. If you can get through to this girl, then you'll be able to feel the pride I'm feeling right now. Even though I know you want to hit something, you're keeping a lid on the urge to do so. You have to admit, Mike, that's a big change from a year ago, right?"
Mike snorts, "A massive change. It's almost like sitting with a different guy. I mean, there haven't been that many times he's been that angry since then, but this has to be challenging for him."
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here. Yes, I get it, you know I'm struggling. But I'm holding it together. Don't make me have to take you outside, Mike."
Both guys laugh and I end up joining them, knowing how stupid my last statement was.
Chris eyes us closely and asks, "So, what now?"
"We wait."