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  “Fair enough, babe,” Ry said and kissed her cheek.

  Jeff smiled at her. “We’re not giving up on you, hon.”

  They wrapped their arms around her, and she settled between them as their bodies moved snuggly against her.

  Chapter Eight

  “I think we need to search inside the cave for any evidence of who created a dangerous weakness in the main path and caused Tom to fall down that steep cliff,” Jeff said as he drove down the highway faster than usual toward the red rock hillside.

  Jeff and Ry had just given Keri a lift in their truck so she could get to work on time for the lunch shift. Now they headed back to the red rock area where, before they had heard about Tom being injured, they’d planned to continue searching for the unknown, or unusual, minerals for C.P.O.

  “I think we do, as well,” Ry agreed, feeling frustrated that Tom had been injured. “From what Mark said when we talked with him, that fall was about ten feet to the floor below. No wonder Tom injured his ankle and arm. He’s lucky that’s all he injured.”

  “We need to report to headquarters about it, after we examine the place he fell from,” Jeff said. “It may have been that nasty guy who has been hunting for minerals on the hillside above where we’ve been looking, who caused the fall by messing with the path. The people at headquarters want us to check into anyone searching in that area for the same minerals we’re looking for.”

  Ry agreed completely. “We could accomplish a couple of things by doing that, and satisfy C.P.O. in the process. It’s important to help the other agents, like Mark and Tom. And since their girlfriend was threatened by the rock hunter we’re suspicious of, it makes sense to investigate his activities further.”

  “I agree,” Jeff said. “Mark and Tom were actually helping us by looking into what that that crazy rock hunter was searching for, and then Tom fell and got injured.”

  “I think that nasty guy has threatened all of us,” Ry added. “We really need to find out what he’s up to and if he’s working with someone else.”

  Jeff turned the truck into the parking area at the foot of the hill where they’d been searching for the minerals. They gathered their tools and walked up the path along the hillside to the area where they’d been working.

  “It looks like someone’s been messing around here in our area,” Jeff said, looking back at Ry.

  Ry shook his head and looked back at him. “Want to bet who?”

  Jeff shook his head. “The rocks that we hadn’t touched yet have been broken up with a hammer. He must not have found much because it looks like all the chunks are still here.”

  Ry took a look at the mess. “I think whoever did this was more interested in making a mess of our site than taking time to search for minerals.”

  “That could be, as well,” Jeff agreed. “Let’s take a look inside the cave and find the place where Tom fell. We need to see if there’s any evidence of who was involved in that.”

  They followed the path up to the large cave opening.

  “See those big footprints?” Jeff pointed out along the path.

  “Yeah,” Jeff said. “Looks like there was only one person up here making those tracks. They’re covering up lots of the footprints of the folks who were here to help Tom.”

  “They look like they were made by a big heavy guy,” Jeff said.

  “Yeah, they do,” Ry said.

  They turned on their flashlights and followed the tracks across the floor of the large cave to the path that headed deeper into the cavern. Jeff led the way down the slightly sloping path.

  They hadn’t gone far when Jeff stopped. He pointed his flashlight at a notch in the path. “This must be where Tom fell,” he said.

  “Looks like it. That notch wasn’t there the last time I walked down here.”

  Jeff stood and stepped over the break in the path. “Let’s see where these tracks go. It looks like they go deeper into the cave.”

  They followed the path as it became steeper. Just ahead the path made a U-turn, where it switched back and headed downhill to the floor below. Jeff directed his light beam ahead of them.

  Ry noticed the path seemed to be too clean of loose rock in that area. He looked ahead and directed his beam of light on the path where it switched back and headed more steeply downhill. There were small rocks strewn across the path where it slanted to the outer side of the curve. He knew there was a drop-off there.

  “Be careful of the gravel ahead,” he said.

  “I see it,” Jeff said as he took a step into the curve. “Shit,” he swore. He scrambled to catch his balance as his feet slid on the gravel and he lost his footing.

  “Jeff!” Ry shouted as his friend slid off the side of the path.

  Ry lunged toward him to catch his arm or hand to stop his fall. He didn’t reach him in time and couldn’t stop Jeff’s fall. He went over the side before Ry could grab hold of him. Falling rocks joined the sound of a dull thud as Jeff hit the hard rock floor. Jeff dropped to his knees at the edge to see Jeff unmoving on the rock floor twenty feet below him. “Jeff,” he yelled, but there was no movement.

  Ry scrambled to his feet and rushed down the path as fast as possible on the dangerously loose gravel. He slipped but kept his footing and finally reached his friend. “Jeff, are you all right?”

  Jeff didn’t move. Ry looked him over and couldn’t see anything bleeding in the beam of his flashlight.

  He took out his cell phone and dialed Mark’s number. The cell phone wouldn’t work in the cave. “Shit,” he swore. He leaned close to Jeff and saw that he was breathing. He seemed to be unconscious, though.

  Ry got to his feet and raced up the path as fast as possible. It seemed to take forever to reach the big cave entrance. He called Mark again, and the phone worked. “Mark! This is Ry. Jeff has had a bad fall in the cave on the mountain.”

  “Where are you?” Mark asked.

  “I’m on the hillside outside the cave right now,” Ry told him.

  “We’re on our way. Will you be inside the cave near Jeff?”

  “Yeah, although I can’t get down to where he landed. Hurry. He needs help right away.” Relieved when Mark said they were on the way with help, Ry thanked him and ended the call. He hurried back inside and down the path to keep watch over Jeff.

  * * * *

  Keri was walking across the dining area carrying a couple plates of food to a table when she heard Austin answer his cell phone as he reached Lacy and Brenda’s table where they were having lunch.

  She put the plates in front of the two customers just as she heard Austin say Tom’s name. She couldn’t help but overhear.

  “What up?” Austin asked. “Jeff fell?”

  Keri’s stomach turned over, and her heart pounded. What had happened?

  “How the hell did that happen?” Austin asked Tom, sounding worried.

  Keri moved close to Austin.

  “Jeff and Ry have been investigating the area for unusual minerals and one particular prospector,” Tom said.

  Keri could hear Tom’s voice plainly.

  “Ry thinks the fall was planned for one of them, and Jeff happened to be in the wrong place. I think someone tried to kill him.”

  Keri’s heart raced. She felt frozen, but she needed to get to Jeff and Ry.

  “We can take you to the hospital to wait for Jeff to arrive there, if you need a ride,” Brenda offered.

  “Thanks,” Keri said, her voice weak to her own ears. She tried hard not to fall apart and cry. “I could use a ride. I can’t believe he’s been hurt.”

  “I’ll send the Alpha Protectors out there, Tom,” Austin said.

  “Let’s go,” Brenda said to Lacy and Keri.

  Keri headed for the door to the parking lot. She heard more conversation between Austin and Brenda and then Austin’s warning to stay out of the way of the rescue team and stay in their vehicle if a fight started with whoever had caused Jeff to be hurt. Keri couldn’t focus on anything else. Jeff had to be all right.
Brenda drove her to the hospital and let her out at the emergency entrance.

  “Thanks, Brenda,” she said as she walked inside the hospital and sat down in a nearby chair to wait.

  The thought of either one of them hurt caused her to ache inside. She felt as if she were in a fog. She wished the rescuers would bring Jeff to the hospital to be taken care of soon. She wished there was something she could do. She couldn’t bear to lose Jeff or Ry. She wanted to tell Jeff and Ry how much she loved them. She knew now that she wanted to be with them forever, if they still wanted her. What would she do without them?

  Chapter Nine

  Ry led the rescue team that Mark had called to the place where Jeff was lying, still unmoving. He was worried that his friend was unconscious. Ry stood back out of the way and let the rescue team do their job.

  When they had Jeff secured, they carried him carefully up the path to the big cave and down the hill to the ambulance. Ry noticed all their friends were there in the parking area waiting. He nodded to Tom and the others then turned to the head guy of the rescue team.

  “I want to ride with him to the hospital,” Ry told him.

  “That’ll be fine,” the man in charge said. “You can climb in and sit right beside the stretcher.”

  Ry took a seat close to Jeff’s shoulders so he would be near enough to hear him if he should regain consciousness soon. He rested a hand gently on Jeff’s right arm that wasn’t badly bruised. His other arm had red marks up and down the side of it. He’d fallen on his left side. He had a big bruise on the side of his head. Ry knew they would take x-rays at the hospital to see if he had any broken bones or a concussion.

  Ry thought he heard Jeff say something. He could barely hear him. “What, Jeff?” He leaned down closer to him.

  “Keri won’t want to be around us after this,” Jeff said softly. He moaned deep in his chest, and Ry didn’t know if it was from heartache or physical pain.

  “I heard that she’s waiting for us at the hospital, Jeff. I think that’s a good sign that she’s concerned about you and she’ll stick with us.” Ry figured he needed to keep Jeff’s spirits up.

  “No,” Jeff said, his voice soft and rough. “She was so worried about our dangerous job. She’ll leave us forever now. I’m sorry, Ry.”

  “Jeff, it’s not your fault you slipped and fell. Someone caused that accident. Probably the same guy who caused Tom’s fall in the cave. We’re going to get that guy. And you’ll see. Keri will stand beside us. She has more courage than she knows.”

  They had reached the hospital entrance, and the rescue team came around to the back of the ambulance and lifted Jeff out on the gurney. Ry followed them inside the hospital.

  Inside the entrance he noticed swift movement at his side and turned. “Keri,” he said and smiled at her worry-filled gaze. He held out his arm to her, and she practically tackled him when she put her arms around him and hugged him.

  “How is he? Is he going to be all right?” she asked him, her voice sounding strained.

  “I think so, babe. Come on. Let’s go with them to the waiting room. We can hang out there with him until they examine him for injuries and take any necessary x-rays.”

  They quickly followed the men rolling the gurney with Jeff on it down the hallway. After they positioned it in a curtained area, Ry moved close to Jeff with Keri hugging his side.

  She let loose of Ry and moved to lean over Jeff, careful not to touch him. “Jeff, we’re right here,” she said. “We’ll be here with you while they look you over. We’re not going anywhere.”

  Jeff looked up at her and lifted his right hand. She cupped his hand in hers and leaned down closer and kissed Jeff on the lips gently.

  Ry smiled to himself. It looked like Keri was going to stand by Jeff and him through whatever care Jeff needed. Hopefully, she’d stay with them for a long time.

  A middle-aged man came into the curtained area. He wore glasses and his dark wavy hair was streaked with gray and cut evenly at his jawline. He held out his hand to Jeff. “I’m Dr. Morris. I’ll be looking after Mr. Yates.”

  Dr. Morris, I’m Ry Garrett, Jeff Yates’ close friend, and this is Keri Barton, our close friend.”

  “How are you all doing?” Dr. Morris asked them.

  “We all seem to be hanging in there. We’re worried about Jeff though. He took a nasty fall, twenty feet, in a cave in the red rock area west of town.”

  “I understand you were unconscious for a while, Mr. Yates,” Dr. Morris said.

  “I guess I was,” Jeff said. “I don’t remember anything after I hit the hard surface I landed on until I woke up in the ambulance coming over here.”

  “It looks like you landed on your left side.” Dr. Morris said.

  “I guess I did,” Jeff said. “That’s the side that’s sore.”

  “All right,” Dr. Morris said. “We’ll take some x-rays and see how things look.” He turned to Ry and Keri. “You can stay in here, if you like, or out in the waiting room. We’ll bring Mr. Yates back here when he’s ready.”

  “We’ll stay right here,” Ry said.

  “All right,” Dr. Morris agreed. “Let’s take this man to x-ray,” he said to the two attendants standing by.

  Ry and Keri sat down in the chairs on one side of the small curtained room, and Ry held her hand.

  “What happened?” she asked Ry.

  Ry told her what they’d been doing and what had happened.

  “Do you think it was an accident, or did someone create a trap for you?” she asked.

  “I think it was a trap. I don’t know who’s responsible, but I want to find out and have the person responsible arrested.”

  They sat quietly holding hands. Keri leaned her head against Ry’s shoulder.

  At last the doctor returned. He held the curtain aside so the attendants could wheel the bed Jeff was on back into the small room. “I’ve looked at the x-rays, and I’m happy to tell you that there are no broken bones. You have a slight concussion, but I don’t think you need to stay in the hospital unless you want to. You’ll want to rest though and let your friends wait on you this evening. Take it easy tonight and tomorrow. Eat lightly. I’ll prescribe some pain pills for you in case you need them for a couple of days. You will probably have a headache for a couple of days. Call me if you have any concerns at all. You can go ahead and get dressed and leave as soon as the nurse brings your pills for you.” Dr. Morris turned to leave and stopped to look at all three of them. “Take good care of each other.” He smiled and left the small room.

  “Do you want us to help you dress?” Keri asked Jeff.

  “Yeah, that would be fine,” he said. He started to sit up and winced.

  “Wait, let me help you to sit up,” Ry said.

  Jeff took it slowly, and Ry and Keri helped him get into his clothes again. Soon, the nurse brought a container of painkillers.

  “Follow the directions,” she said, “and don’t take more than prescribed. You should probably take the first one when you return home.”

  “Thank you,” Jeff said.

  An attendant brought a wheelchair, and the nurse explained that Jeff had to leave the hospital in the wheelchair.

  Ry kept silent about it, but he figured that was probably a good idea until Jeff had figured out to take it easy.

  They were soon on their way home. When they reached the house, Ry parked near the entrance, and he and Keri walked on either side of Jeff with Ry on his right side to give him a hand if he needed it. Jeff walked slowly, but they had no problems. They settled him in a recliner in the den, and Ry called Austin and Rex’s place and ordered dinner for them, enough for a couple of days in case they needed it tomorrow evening.

  Keri took Jeff a glass of water. He decided to take one of his pain pills. Keri settled in the recliner next to him and kept watch as Jeff leaned back and closed his eyes, wincing.

  Ry headed out to pick up their dinner.

  While he was waiting inside the bar and dance hall, he talked wi
th Austin and Rex and told them about their trip to the hospital and Dr. Morris’s results. Austin and Rex were relieved to hear that Jeff would be all right. Their dinner was ready, and Ry was about to leave when Austin got a call on his cell phone from Mark. Ry heard the tone of Mark’s voice, and it didn’t sound good.

  “We’re on our way. Ry is with us.” Austin ended the call. “Mark needs our help, fast,” Austin said.

  * * * *

  “Let’s hurry,” Ry said as they all three headed out to their vehicles.

  Ry put the container of food on the floor of the truck after he sat down in the driver’s seat. He saw that Austin and Rex were driving toward the entrance to the highway already. He drove up behind them and followed them down the highway toward the red rock formation. Mark had told Austin he needed backup to rescue Brenda and Tom. Kidnappers had taken them into a tunnel through a cave on the north entrance.

  Ry knew where that cave entrance was located. He and Jeff had found it when they’d first explored the area for their job for C.P.O.

  It didn’t take them long to reach the parking area at the foot of the hill. He parked his truck beside Austin’s. Dinner would have to wait. He took his pistol from the glove compartment just in case he needed it and joined Austin and Rex who were waiting for him.

  “I’ll lead the way,” Ry said.

  Austin and Rex nodded that was all right with them. Ry headed up the path that forked toward the north side of the rocks. In the bright moonlight, the tracks of a group of people, including a woman’s smaller tracks, showed them the way. He walked as quietly as possible, avoiding small rocks that could make sounds in the stillness of the evening and alert the outlaws to the nearness of the three of them. He saw the shadowed cave opening ahead.