“Happily married,” Jackie announced while wiggling her ring finger at him. “And even if I weren’t, you’re about as far from my type as a man can get.” She turned her attention away from Marco and approached Nevada at the desk. “I’m sure someone else will watch him for a while. Give you a break from all that testosterone.”
“No, it’s my shift,” Nevada informed her. “His mouth doesn’t bother me. Almost all my bounties are men. You can believe me when I say I’ve heard it all.”
Jackie smirked and sat on the edge of the desk facing the attractive, volatile woman. “I’m guessing that doesn’t end so well for many of them.”
Nevada shrugged and offered a tiny, almost humored smirk. “I’ve bruised a lot more than egos in my time,” she replied almost proudly.
“I’ll bet,” Jackie teased while offering a humored smile. “Are you going back to the hotel in Maine when this is all over? A nine-way split of a buck twenty-five is certainly a nice chunk of change, but it’s not life-altering.”
Nevada tossed her magazine aside and met Jackie’s gaze. “I don’t think so,” she replied.
Jackie was surprised by the comment then attempted a smile. “I thought you liked it there.”
“Not really,” Nevada replied, then sneered. “Everyone’s so nice. It makes my skin crawl?”
“Nothing wrong with people being nice,” Jackie informed her.
“I’d rather not discuss it,” Nevada muttered and looked away.
Jackie studied her a moment, then nodded. “I understand,” she announced, then stood. She actually felt quite sad for the woman. Someone must have hurt her deeply to make her so hateful toward others. She wasn’t sure if Nevada knew Scorpio and Kane were Zack’s kids, but she doubted that would make a difference or change her mind. “I’ll just leave you to your shift.”
As Jackie headed out of the clinic, Ross entered. They exchanged looks as if having a silent conversation about Nevada. Ross entered and looked around.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked, then indicated Marco. “Is Marco behaving?”
Nevada shrugged. “About the same,” she replied.
“Ross, you copy?” Zack was heard through Ross’s ear transmitter.
He touched his ear. “Yeah, Zack,” he announced. “What’s up?”
“We have company,” Zack reported over his boss’s ear transmitter.
Ross became alert. “What sort of company?”
“Looks like a Girl Scout,” Zack replied. “Arriving from the north.”
“North?” Ross just about exclaimed. “That’s across the reserve. Who’d be coming from that direction?”
“Park ranger,” Zack replied.
Ross suddenly groaned then spun to face Nevada, who was alerted by the part of the transmission she’d heard. “Watch Marco.”
“What is it?” Nevada asked.
“Park ranger,” Ross replied with a frown. “Probably nothing, but we don’t want her becoming suspicious.” He touched his ear transmitter. “All hands on deck. I want Jackie, Beck, and Monroe to meet me out front. The rest of you, hold your position.”
Chapter 33
Bogart hurried out of the clinic after Jackie only a step behind her and appeared mildly upset. Jackie attempted to ignore her brother as he hounded her.
“Why wouldn’t I be on the front line for this?” Bogart demanded while keeping pace with her. “When it comes to dealing with women, I’m the best you’ve got.”
“This,” Jackie insisted while vigorously indicating their interaction. “You tend to talk too much. You’ll be inviting her to stay for lunch. Just go back to the clinic.”
Bogart frowned and returned the way they had come. Jackie joined Ross, Beck, and Monroe, who stood in front of the visitor’s center. Monroe handed Jackie a professional camera, which she placed around her neck to keep up appearances. He had a similar camera over his shoulder as well. Beck set up a telescope while Ross hung a pair of binoculars around his neck. They officially looked the part of their cover story.
“What’s her twenty, Zack?” Ross asked through his transmitter while attempting to look casually at the trees through the binoculars.
“Twenty yards from me,” Zack replied over their ear transmitters. “About two hundred yards from the clinic. She looks suspicious.”
Ross finally spotted the uniformed park ranger through his binoculars. She was in her early thirties and rode on a large, gray horse. The horse’s head suddenly turned in the direction of Zack’s tree and snorted loudly.
“Hell,” Zack scoffed through their ear transmitters. “The horse spotted me! Ratted out by a horse!”
§
The female park ranger looked in the direction the horse stared and scanned the area. The woman was a vision of the girl-next-door with a flawless complexion, long light brown hair, and a slender body. The lady in her late twenties had a mildly timid appearance, seeming somewhat shy and docile. Her delicate features almost made it impossible to believe she could be a park ranger, roughing it in the woods on a daily basis.
She patted the horse’s neck while keeping watch. “What is it, boy?” the ranger asked, taking the horse’s reaction seriously. “What do you see?”
When she didn’t see anything, the ranger finally seemed to relax, apparently not suspecting anything. Without warning, she removed a high-powered rifle from the saddle holster and swiftly aimed it at the tree where Zack remained perched. She stared at him through the scope.
“You, in the tree,” she yelled out, no longer seeming timid. “Hands where I can see them!”
“Crap,” Zack muttered to his teammates via the ear transmitter.
“Do what she says, Zack,” Ross informed him through his earpiece. “Nice and easy. This reserve is supposed to be abandoned. She’s suspicious and possibly nervous.”
Zack showed the ranger his hands from where he sat high in the tree. “Don’t shoot,” he announced. “I’m a photographer, not a terrorist.”
The ranger didn’t lower the rifle and continued to watch him through the scope. “Come down, nice and easy,” she called to him.
“Coming down,” Zack announced, then made his way down the tree.
The ranger kept the rifle locked on him, then hesitated and just about marveled at the way he scaled the tree. “Jesus,” she muttered while taking her eyes off the scope to better appreciate his descent.
Zack jumped the last five feet, landing in a semi-crouched position.
The ranger admired his landing then, once again, raised the rifle. “Hands where I can see them,” she instructed.
Zack did as she said.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” she asked while remaining highly suspicious of him. “Show me some ID.”
“It’s back at camp,” Zack informed her, then nodded in the direction of the sanctuary. “My friends are back at our camp within the sanctuary. They can vouch for me. We’re just photographers.”
“This is private property,” she informed him. “Do you have permission from the owners to be here?”
“The former chairman of the board gave us permission,” Zack informed her. “His name is Othello with P.R. Corporation. I can give you his contact information.”
“There’s no cell phone service out here,” she informed him while slowly lowering the rifle.
“I know,” Zack replied. “We have a radio.”
“So do I,” she announced. “I’ll check out your story later. Let’s have a look at your camp.” She nodded in the direction of the main building and offered a mildly arrogant smirk. “After you.”
“Can I put my hands down?” Zack asked.
“Can you show me your camera?” she quipped in response while raising her brows.
Zack glanced at his chest, realizing he was a photographer without a camera. “No, but I have my binoculars,” he replied and indicated the binoculars tucked partially inside his jacket.
The ranger frowned and nodded. “Yeah, you can put your hands d
own,” she replied but didn’t seem happy about it. “Just don’t make any sudden movements.”
“As you wish,” Zack replied, then walked past her and back for the visitor’s center.
She nudged the horse with her heels and let the reins rest over the saddle horn so she could keep the rifle in both hands. The horse seemed to take cues without use of the reins. As they entered the clearing before the visitor’s center, Ross, Jackie, Beck, and Monroe were now seen. Ross looked past Zack, saw the woman ranger, and offered his most charming smile.
“Leave it to Zack to make new friends in the middle of nowhere,” Ross teased.
Zack glared his disapproval at Ross since the ranger couldn’t see his face.
“Who are you people?” the woman asked while keeping the rifle cradled in her arms, ready at a moment’s notice.
“I’m Ross,” he announced, then indicated the others. “That’s Jackie, Beck, and Monroe.” He then nodded to Zack. “And I see you’ve already met our acrobatic friend, Zack.”
“Thanks for the introductions,” she replied, then raised a skeptical brow. “But not really what I meant. What are you doing here?”
“Zack didn’t tell you we’re photographers?” Ross asked with some surprise.
“He mentioned it,” the ranger replied. “And you have permission to be here?”
“We have a friend at P.R. Corporation,” Ross informed her. “He said we could camp here for a few weeks collecting photos. It’s actually very exciting for us. One in our ‘abandoned’ collection.”
“Can any of you produce some ID?” she asked with limited patience.
All four reached into their pockets. Without use of the reins, the ranger prompted the horse closer to Jackie. The horse stopped on command. She glanced at Jackie’s driver’s license, eyed Jackie, and then smiled more naturally as she slung the rifle over her shoulder.
“Sorry for that,” the ranger announced and managed a tiny laugh. “I’m not used to finding people out this far. It’s pretty isolated up here.” She drew a deep breath and tensed slightly. “Usually, when I do find people up here, they’re poachers, and that can get a little dicey.”
“Understandable,” Ross replied and returned his wallet to his pocket.
“Do you mind if I have a look around?” the ranger asked.
“Of course not,” Ross announced while maintaining his smile. “Jackie could show you around.”
“That’s okay,” the ranger announced, then indicated Zack. “Zack volunteered.”
Zack appeared somewhat baffled and eyed Ross. Ross ignored the look Zack gave him. She singled Zack out for a reason, and that couldn’t be good. They weren’t out of the woods just yet with the lady ranger.
“I should probably tag along,” Jackie insisted, then gave a nod to Zack. “Zack’s more of our location scout than an operations guy.”
“That would explain why I found him in a tree,” the ranger insisted, then dismounted her horse.
“Zack enjoys climbing,” Jackie informed her while offering a tiny smile. “That’s why he makes such a great scout.” She then indicated the visitor’s center. “Our base is located in the visitor’s center. It has everything we need, including a generator and running water.” Jackie then glared at Zack and indicated the visitor’s center.
Zack reluctantly joined them and headed toward the main building. The horse followed the ranger toward the building despite the reins remaining around the saddle horn. Jackie and Zack eyed the horse, instantly reminding them of certain other horses they’d come across in the past.
The ranger noticed the looks they gave the horse and managed a tiny laugh. “Never mind Smokey,” she insisted. “He thinks he’s a dog.”
Jackie then glanced at the ranger. “I’m sorry,” she announced politely. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Samantha,” the ranger announced. “You can call me Sam.”
All three entered the now cleaned visitor’s center, where the team had set up several cots that were neatly made with blankets and pillows. There were a few portable ice chests and several duffle bags to keep up appearances. Zack approached one of the duffle bags and removed something.
“Well, Sam,” Jackie announced cheerfully and indicated the lobby of the visitor’s center. “This is our main operation right here.”
Sam looked around at the arranged cots. “How many of you are there?”
“Well, there’s the five of us you’ve just met,” Jackie announced. “And four others.”
Zack approached and handed the ranger his driver’s license. Sam glanced at the license, eyed Zack, and then returned it. She then cast a look between Jackie and Zack.
“You two live together?” Sam asked.
Jackie immediately tensed and cast a look at Zack. The strange question caught her off guard.
“Yes,” Zack replied without hesitation.
Jackie smiled and nodded in agreement, although she was somewhat stunned by the news. Sam seemed to focus her attention on Jackie and raised a curious brow.
“What’s his last name?” Sam asked while shifting her eyes in Zack’s direction.
Jackie felt her heart pounding at the question. She didn’t know what name was on the identification Zack showed the ranger. Zack went by dozens of last names and had identifications to match each identity. What were the odds he actually had an ID with his real last name on it? Zack placed his fingers to his temple, scratching it in something resembling a salute.
“Remus,” Jackie replied without hesitation.
Sam smiled and laughed. “Sorry about that,” she replied and shook her head. “I’m far too suspicious for my own good. You just acted kind of strange when I asked if you lived together.”
“Well,” Jackie remarked and shifted slightly. “I didn’t realize he had chosen my address as his home address. He divides his time between my house, a friend’s house, and with his children.”
Sam then glanced at Zack. “You have children?” she asked. “How old are they?”
Zack was uncomfortable talking about himself, but he took the personal question in stride. He had to suck it up and play along. Although, he might have been secretly cursing Jackie for involving him in the conversation.
“They’re twenty-two,” he replied, then shifted. “Twin boy and girl.”
“Twins?” Sam remarked and offered a pleasant smile. “That must be great.”
Zack shrugged. “My daughter hasn’t exactly warmed up to me yet,” he replied.
“You weren’t around when they were growing up?” Sam asked.
Jackie was now feeling slightly uncomfortable. For the average person, it was just polite conversation. For someone like Zack, it was intrusive and more information than he’d usually give.
“Their mother died shortly after they were born,” Zack announced and seemed tense admitting the truth, but it was a lot easier than making up something on the spot. “Her father didn’t approve of me and kept them from me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sam replied, then tensed. “I didn’t mean to open old wounds.” She fidgeted slightly. “I should probably be going. If you have any problems or spot any suspicious activity, you can contact me on the radio twenty-four hours a day.” She then eyed both and smiled. “It was nice meeting you. Have a nice afternoon.”
Chapter 34
Ross laid out a map of the reserve, showing where the different animals were kept back when it was operational. As the guys gathered around the vet clinic's examination table to look at the map, Nevada leaned against the cage bars. Marco leaned his shoulder against the bars on his side of the cage and watched the meeting of the minds across the room.
“What are they up to?” Marco asked while giving a nod in the direction of the guys.
“None of your fucking business,” she retorted with little emotion.
Marco shook his head while staring at her profile. “I hope you never need another favor from my father,” he remarked. “I know you used to do some work for him.�
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Nevada eyed Marco with little emotion. “You should be less worried about me needing favors from your father and worry more about your own issues with him,” she snarled. “He may want the guys to keep you alive, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgiven you for being a shitty-ass son.”
“Who says I was a shitty-ass son?” Marco demanded.
She cast a look at him and raised an arrogant brow. “You’ve been sulking around since your wedding day massacre, blaming everyone else for what happened,” Nevada snarled with detest. “Never once placing blame on that psychotic bitch you were set to marry for her role.” Nevada cocked her head. “Boo hoo, Marco. You should be damned grateful that bitch was taken out before she had the chance to take you out. You have the world by the balls, yet you choose to be the poor, little victim all the time. I’d give anything to have your problems over mine.”
“Your problems, huh?” Marco retorted and straightened. “Let’s discuss Nevada’s problems. First off, you’re the one on the free side of these bars, and every bounty hunter and hitman isn’t trying to kill you for something you didn’t do. But let’s not focus on the obvious.”
Nevada glared at him and showed no emotion.
“As far as I can see, all of your problems are self-created,” Marco announced while raising his brows. “You’re so terrified of becoming emotionally attached to anyone that you run away the moment you have the slightest feelings for them. You’re so afraid that no one will love you that you do everything in your power to keep people away, so you’ll never know how they really feel.”
“Shut up,” Nevada snarled.
“Make me,” Marco snapped back and moved just far enough away from the bars while holding his arms out to his side. “That’s why you want out of that new safe house Zack found for you, isn’t it? What’s his name? Kane? I overheard what you were telling Ross. It’s not his clinginess that’s the problem, is it? It’s your fear of allowing yourself to like him that’s the real problem. You’re so terrified of emotional commitment that you’ll do anything to avoid it.”
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