Silent Neighbor (Sheila Stone #9)

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Raven's heart raced with exhilaration as he crept silently toward Jessica. The thrill of the hunt, the anticipation of delivering nature's judgment, coursed through his veins. He was mere feet away, his prey oblivious to the danger at her back, when a shout from below shattered the moment.

"Jessica! Behind you! Look out!"

Jessica spun around, standing mere feet from the cliff's edge, her eyes wide with shock as they met Raven's. He couldn't help but smile, savoring the moment of recognition, the fear that bloomed in her gaze.

"It's good to finally meet you face to face, Jessica," Raven said, his voice calm and measured despite the adrenaline surging through him. "I left Extreme Limits before you joined, so unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to meet face-to-face until now. But I must say, I've been looking forward to this moment."

Jessica stared at him, her body tense, ready to fight or flee. Raven could see the emotions warring on her face—fear, anger, confusion. Her hand twitched toward her chalk bag. Curious. Did she have something in there?

"You," Jessica said, her voice trembling with rage. "You killed my friends. Jake, Brad, Ellen. It was you."

Raven nodded, not bothering to deny it. "I did," he admitted, his tone matter-of-fact. "They disrespected the mountain. They treated these sacred places like their personal playground, flaunting their arrogance and ignorance. They deserved death."

Jessica's face contorted with disgust. "You're insane," she said. "A sociopath. How can you justify murder?"

Raven laughed, the sound echoing off the cliff face. "Sociopath? That term means nothing to me. I am an instrument of nature's will, restoring balance where your kind has upset it."

He took a step closer, and Jessica stepped back, her shoe coming perilously close to the edge. "What happens now?" she asked. "Are you going to push me off the cliff like the others?"

Raven tilted his head, considering. "That was the plan," he admitted. "But now that the police are here..." He glanced down at the figures far below, then back at Jessica, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Well, I can't exactly carry out my plans here, can I? We'll have to find somewhere else."

Jessica's eyes widened as the implications of his words sank in. Raven could see her mind racing, looking for a way out of this situation. But there was nowhere to go. The ledge was narrow, the drop behind her steep and unforgiving. She was trapped, caught between the killer and the cliff.

"You won't get away with this," Jessica said, her voice gaining strength as she spoke. "Those deputies down there won't let you leave."

Raven chuckled, amused by her bravado. "Oh, Jessica. You still don't understand, do you? This isn't about getting away. This is about sending a message. And you're going to help me do that. Just not here."

He took another step forward, closing the distance between them. Jessica flinched but held her ground, her eyes never leaving his face. Raven had to admire her courage, misplaced though it was.

"What message?" Jessica asked.

Raven's eyes gleamed with a fervent light. "That nature is not to be trifled with. That those who disrespect the mountain will pay the ultimate price. You and your friends, with your reckless stunts and your social media glory-seeking, you've forgotten the true meaning of the wilderness. I'm here to remind everyone."

As he spoke, Raven's hand moved to his belt, where a coil of rope hung. Jessica's eyes flicked to the movement, then back to his face. He could see the moment she realized what he intended to do.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I won't let you use me like that."

Raven's smile widened. "My dear, do you honestly think you have a choice?"

***

Finn's lungs burned as he raced along the base of the cliff, his eyes desperately scanning for any break in the sheer rock face. The sun beat down mercilessly, and sweat dripped into his eyes, blurring his vision. He wiped it away impatiently, never slowing his pace.

"Come on," he muttered, frustration building with each step. "There has to be a way up."

But everywhere he looked, he saw only more towering rock, smooth and unforgiving. The cliff seemed to mock him, its red surface shimmering in the heat like a mirage, always just out of reach.

Finn glanced back over his shoulder. He could no longer see Sheila. How far had he come? A quarter mile? Half a mile? With each step, he was moving farther from where he needed to be, and the thought filled him with dread.

"Damn it!" he cursed, kicking at a loose stone. It skittered away, disappearing into a clump of scraggly bushes. If something happened to Jessica or Sheila while he was down here, running around uselessly...

He shook his head, banishing the thought. He couldn't think like that. He had to keep looking, had to find a way up.

Finn pulled out his phone, checking the signal strength. He'd been trying to call for backup every few minutes, but out here, in the shadow of the cliffs, reception was spotty at best.

To his surprise, this time, he saw a single bar of signal strength. It wasn't much, but it might be enough. His fingers flew over the keypad, dialing dispatch.

"This is Deputy Mercer," he said as soon as the call connected, his words coming out in a rush. "We have a possible hostage situation at Razor's Edge. Suspect is armed and dangerous, believed to be the Coldwater killer. We need immediate backup and a helicopter for aerial support."

He listened intently as the dispatcher acknowledged his request, asking for more details. Finn provided what information he could, all the while scanning the cliff face, hoping against hope to spot some way up.

As he ended the call, promising to update them if the situation changed, Finn felt a mix of relief and frustration. Help was on the way, but would it arrive in time?

He put the phone away and quickened his pace. The cliff continued its unbroken expanse, but Finn refused to give up. There had to be a way up, and he was going to find it.

As he rounded a large boulder, something caught his eye. There, partially hidden by the play of shadows on the rock face, was a narrow defile—a steep, twisting path leading upward.

Finn's heart leapt. This was it.

Without hesitation, he began to climb. The path was steep and treacherous, loose rocks skittering away under his feet with each step. Finn's hands scrabbled for purchase on the rough stone, his muscles straining with the effort.

He was acutely aware of his lack of experience. This was nothing like the climbing wall at the police academy gym. Here, each movement could mean the difference between life and death. One misstep, one moment of lost concentration, and he could find himself plummeting to the unforgiving ground below.

But Finn pushed on, driven by the urgency of the situation. With each hard-won foot of elevation, he silently urged himself forward. Don't think about the height, he told himself. Don't look down. Just keep moving.

As he paused on a narrow ledge to catch his breath, Finn's thoughts turned to Sheila and Jessica. Were they okay? He hadn't heard a gunshot, but that didn't mean much. It was entirely possible that the killer had already dispatched Jessica while Sheila watched helplessly from a distance.

If he had, however, he wasn't going to get away with it. Finn would see to that much, at least.