“I’m working on getting the details, Liam. I wanted to give you a heads-up.”
All that work, months of working undercover. Liam was glad he had stepped outside. He didn’t want Rae to overhear this conversation until he figured out how he would tell her.
“I can’t believe this.” Liam gripped the nearest lodgepole pine post.
“He’ll be back in prison, don’t you worry. He’ll be back where he belongs.”
Liam wasn’t so sure. A sick feeling swirled inside and crept up his throat. He paced, his boots clomping on the porch. A horse’s nicker echoed from the barn below. “Thanks, but I’m not sure what I can do with the information.” Liar. He knew, oh, he knew—
“Watch your back, for one. We believe he wants payback.”
Of course he did. But did he want it bad enough to seek Liam out? “You think he knows who I am or where I am?”
“In this day and age, it’s getting harder to keep your identity a secret. You know that. Just keep your picture off social media. Out of the news. That sort of thing. But . . . I’m not even done yet.”
“You’re killing me here. Tell me.”
Kelvin sighed long and hard. “We don’t know where he is. He just . . . disappeared.”
Great. “That it?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
“What about Enzo Astor? Have you found out anything more since sending me that picture?”
“He’s on my radar.”
Liam wished he hadn’t eaten the stew. It settled in his gut, along with fear and dread. He’d come here because he wanted to escape the ugliness. To get away from it. But it had been trailing him this whole time, and now it felt like he was coming full circle.
“You said he’s on your radar. What can you tell me? It could help us to find Zoey Burke.”
“This is DEA, McKade. You connect the dots.”
Okay. Right. “I hope you’ve got someone in town watching him.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.”
“You do that,” Liam said. “Now, I have to go.”
Drugs. Somehow. Some way. Every crime was connected to drugs. The big question—how did Zoey fit in with that scenario? Pieces were falling into place, but they seemed like the wrong pieces that were fitting into the same horrifying puzzle—and it wasn’t the puzzle he’d started on.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Saturday, 8:52 a.m.
Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort
Rae had followed Liam to the resort in her rental vehicle. Piece by piece, they were uncovering the truth. This would be over soon. She felt that to her bones.
At the moment, she sat at a round table in the human resources office waiting to be given instructions on her new job. She would get to know the employees and “infiltrate,” as Liam had termed it. He believed she would be safe at the resort with him, and he would monitor her location at all times through her cell. He was watching every shadowed corner of the place through cameras as well. For now they would continue their plan to look for anomalies.
While she waited, she typed out notes and created a mind map, bubbles, and everything.
Five years ago, Zoey was taken by a stalker but escaped. She married Rae’s brother, Alan, and got rid of old thriller novels. Rae started investigating a human trafficking ring because of a comment Zoey had made—private, hold-her-secrets-close Zoey—and nearly died. Rae found and lost love as a result of that investigation. No. Delete that last bubble. It wasn’t relevant.
Zoey disappeared again.
The new resort. The stalker’s brother was an investor.
The books returned.
All these pieces went together somehow. If only she could find one or two more pieces.
Frustrated, she almost closed her laptop when she noticed a new email from Reggie. He said he’d gone through many layers of the shell corporation he believed were linked to E.S.A. Holdings and found an investor—Devon Winters. Rae wasn’t familiar with the name and would run it by Liam when he surfaced.
Disappointment that Reggie’s email hadn’t been more helpful left her deflated.
Last year, she’d been at this same place mentally, when she’d inadvertently learned that important clue from Liam—the man, Malcom Fox—and she’d followed it to find Dina.
Life seemed to have come full circle for her and Liam, but they both knew to avoid the last half of that circle. It could mean injury or death. Except how did they avoid it, exactly?
Regardless, Rae was running on fumes.
To keep going, she needed one thing—inspiration. Encouragement that her mission wasn’t impossible.
She grabbed her cell and found the last story Dad wrote before he died. Whenever she lost hope or needed to feel motivated about keeping her work going, she read his articles.
As she read this particular article he had written from a war zone, interviews of innocent civilians—those who bore the brunt of the battle between governments—all her work up to this point seemed frivolous in comparison.
Tears came to her eyes. She swiped at them. Great way to start a new job, a fake job. But the article motivated her, reminding her who she was and what she was about. She could do this. She would do this. Get to the bottom of Zoey’s mysterious past and her disappearance and, with some digging, Rae would find dirt.
Liam being here at the resort as head of security put him in the best position to ferret out criminal activity. But Rae’s “job” was a waste of her time and skills. She needed to get back with Sam and Ivan. Too many questions floated around about those books.
After reading Dad’s article, she tugged the thriller novel from her handbag and skimmed the pages. Would she find the answer if she read the whole thing? She didn’t have time for that. Then she felt it . . . a perceptible indention, an impression, inside the cover. Her pulse picked up. She ran her forefinger over the spot again. Several imprints could be felt, as though someone had left the impression of a word on the page. Had that been intentional?
She dug through her handbag for paper. But she needed a pencil. Rae rushed over to a desk and opened drawers until she found one. At the table, she placed the paper on top of the impression and rubbed the pencil over the paper as she pressed down—like every elementary school kid learned in art class using leaves gathered in the fall.
Success! She peered at the impression now made visible.
One word.
Ransom.
What could it mean?
Okay, that was it. She had to talk to Sam. Rae called her on her cell but got no answer.
Now she wished she’d grabbed more than one of these stupid novels.
Rae snapped a picture with her cell and forwarded the image to Reggie. She texted the details about the book. If she wasn’t grasping at straws, he would figure it out.
Her cell rang. Sam.
“Sam, hi.” Rae said the words as Natalie Ramirez stepped into the small office.
“Are you ready?” Natalie’s smile was forced.
Um . . .
“I called because we had a cancellation,” Sam said. “Ivan wanted me to ask if you’d like to go heli-skiing.”
Natalie impatiently eyed Rae.
“I’ve learned something, Sam. Will you be there? It’s important that we talk.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Saturday, 11:48 a.m.
Mountain Valley Adventures
Dressed from head to toe in skiwear, Rae stood in the waiting area with a couple from France on their honeymoon. She’d read that people came from around the world for this. The adventure of a lifetime.
She had let Natalie know she would have to come back tomorrow. If she didn’t have Brad behind her hiring, Rae surely would have been fired on the spot.
Then she’d driven out to the lodge where she had expected to meet with Sam, but Kelly had relayed the message that Sam was running late. Honestly, Rae had been surprised to he
ar from the woman, considering her condition yesterday. Rae was compelled to see this through, so she had waited until she got here to text Liam about her plans. She didn’t need him standing in her way.
As the minutes ticked on, she grew concerned that Sam wouldn’t show up. Ivan and another big guy—one of the other guides?—emerged from a hallway. The other guy headed outside, and Ivan angled for their group. His big shoulders appeared even broader in his ski jacket. He introduced himself to the couple and welcomed Rae. She wanted to ask about Sam, but he continued on to a well-rehearsed spiel that he’d probably given thousands of times but somehow made sound fresh and exciting. The thrill of anticipation filled the room as he spoke.
Had Zoey given this same spiel—back when she’d gone by Tawny? Rae tried to picture that as she listened to Ivan and, through the panoramic window, watched the other guy get into the helicopter. The pilot. If Rae were here in the area only to write her travel article, she had plenty of fascinating fodder from which to choose. But Rae was fact finding.
“Cowboy powder,” Ivan continued. “It’s all about the light, dry stuff. Fresh powder. You’re privileged skiers since the government limits those who will ski the Snake River Range in Wyoming. Your tour today is exclusive and private.”
Sam quietly stepped up behind Rae and whispered, “Sorry I’m late.”
Rae urged her aside so they could talk without interrupting Ivan’s pitch.
“I don’t usually celebrate when someone cancels on us,” Sam said, “but this was fortuitous. Now you can see what we do. What Tawny was involved in. You wanted to know her better. Maybe this will help.”
Rae nodded. Seeing the men Zoey worked with in action could shed light too.
“You told me that she worked more on the business side and was into computers.”
Sam nodded. “But she also knew how to take a group onto the slopes.”
Sam’s words sounded like she was holding out hope in the face of grief that threatened to overtake her.
Rae was too. She had a feeling in her gut that she would learn something substantial today. They would be together for hours, so Rae would have the chance to ask Sam about those books. And if she snagged a few moments alone with Ivan, then she could possibly get information that he might not otherwise share in Sam’s presence. She might learn something more from Ivan in this environment where he was most comfortable. She’d found that to be the case when she was searching for hidden truths. Secrets. People kept their guard up, but Rae had learned how to help them drop it, if only enough for her to see inside.
“I need to talk to you about the books.”
Sam nodded, then eyed the couple. Ivan was wrapping up and urging them outside. “Okay. We’ll make time today.”
A text came through from Liam. She’d planned to text him before getting on the helicopter.
Are you okay?
She could sense his frustration even though it was only a text. She quickly replied.
I’m with Sam and Ivan and a couple of tourists. You work your end, I’ll work mine. I’ll be fine. I promise.
This wasn’t our plan. I don’t like it.
The sooner we find Zoey, the better. I have to go. I’ll be safe with Sam and Ivan.
Relieved that she’d heard from Liam, Rae followed the group and fidgeted with her poles. A whole day spent in the mountains, away from civilization, sent a terrifying thrill through her.
Big snowflakes came down hard and fast and beautiful. Sometime in the next twenty-four hours, the weather would shift. A blizzard was coming. She imagined that people were crowding the slopes at the various ski resorts to get in as much ski time as possible before the storm shut them down.
Some people would head back home. Others would hunker down and stay in the resort. Once that blizzard hit, they would all be grounded for a while.
Together, Sam and Rae hiked out to the helipad. All skiers had already donned their helmets that included communications—a Mountain Valley Adventures requirement. A gust of wind slammed her cheeks. This would be nothing compared to the wind and snow on the mountain. Heart pounding, she waited for her turn to climb into the helicopter. Headset on, the pilot focused on his dashboard. Someone had taped a couple of photographs up near the controls.
“This is Wayne ‘Powder Keg’ Jaeger,” Ivan said, his voice coming through loud and clear via the helmet. “He’s piloted for us for fifteen years.” He clapped him on the back.
The big man Rae had seen earlier tossed a small wave and a smile over his shoulder, then returned his attention to the dash.
Rae strapped into her seat.
The French couple sat across from her, Ivan next to her. “Where’s Sam?”
Ivan pointed. Sam rushed away from the helicopter and toward the doors of the facilities.
The helicopter lifted.
“Wait. We’re not going to leave without her, are we?” Rae tried to unbuckle.
Ivan pointed at his watch and turned his attention to the paying tourists eager to hit the cowboy powder, as Ivan had termed it. “She’ll be fine. Something must have come up.”
Rae wrestled with indecision, but the helicopter was lifting away, and she had no choice. This was better, actually, as far as questioning Ivan. If she could get him alone at some point, she could ask what he knew about Zoey. Then she could talk to Sam about the books when she got back. Relief settled in and she let herself hope. With Rae pursuing this side of their investigation and Liam working the resort, they would get answers sooner.
The photographs told the story—Ivan had been a big part of Sam’s and Zoey’s lives before Zoey disappeared. Why hadn’t Ivan protected Zoey from her stalker? Rae had instinctively known that posing that question to him when she’d first met him at Sam’s house would provide no answers. Now she might get a chance to ask him in his own comfortable environment on the cowboy powder.
Rae’s heart rate soared. Her father had faced improvised explosive devices, direct bombs, bullets. He’d witnessed atrocities and suffered brutalities to expose the truth.
As for her—this helicopter ride. A day of skiing the slopes.
This wasn’t suffering.
Even so, Rae had the feeling she would have to keep thinking about her father’s endurance to make it through this day. Ivan, the ultimate tour guide, shared the names of the mountain peaks they flew over. The ridges and valleys. The pure, unadulterated wilderness. Snake River, whose path traversed from Wyoming through Idaho and then through Washington, where it joined the Columbia River and spilled into the Pacific.
The privileged few, Ivan continued to emphasize.
Finally, he turned his gaze on her. “And you, you’re here with a ‘press pass.’” He made invisible quotes with his fingers. “Since you’re a journalist, I hope you’ll write about this experience.”
She stared out the window as Ivan droned on, and finally she was able to tune him out as her thoughts moved back to Liam. She could imagine him gripping her shoulders as he expressed hurt and frustration that she’d left the resort. But inflexibility, the inability to shift and change with the investigation, wouldn’t help.
The helicopter swooped over the mountaintop, then dropped fast. Nausea rolled inside Rae like waves.
Liam. Think about Liam.
Those brown eyes she could get lost in. She had gotten lost in. His sunlit, wheat-colored hair that hung in waves to his collar. Broad shoulders. The moment she first met him—both of them following the same trail of traffickers but for different reasons. If she could go back in time, she would listen to him and back off. Instead, she’d hit the proverbial land mine and had blown both their careers to bits.
Ivan warned that the helicopter was fast approaching their drop-off. Her breathing kicked up a notch to keep up with her racing heartbeat. And now it was showtime.
The helicopter hovered near the top of a jagged-edged mountain, then slowly landed on a predominantl
y flat spot into fresh, white powder Rae had only seen in pictures. Breathtaking. No groomed slopes that ended at a resort with food and people. Only wilderness and adventure awaited her.
Then the rotor wash filled the air with white dust.
Zoey . . . Tawny . . . she had likely taken this same ski route hundreds of times. Heart pounding, Rae hopped out and landed in the cowboy powder, boots first.
She joined the others unloading the gear.
The helicopter lifted up and away, leaving them to tame the mountain. After gearing up, the French couple took off. Rae was alone with Ivan. She should ask him about Zoey.
He stared at her long and hard, then covered his dark eyes with reflective goggles. “Tawny skied here, Rae. This was her favorite place.”
“Thank you for bringing me.” Rae soaked in the sight of the snowcapped mountain.
“Let’s go, then.” Ivan pushed off with his poles and left her.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Saturday, 12:15 p.m.
Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort
Liam gritted his teeth. He hadn’t wanted Rae going on that heli-skiing tour alone. Though, if the intel he’d received was correct, she would be in more danger here at the resort than she would be with those who cared about Zoey.
Still, he struggled to relax. He needed to finish up and get to that heli-skiing place. His jaw worked involuntarily. He’d probably miss her, even if he left now.
Brad squeezed Liam’s shoulder, then urged him forward. Memories of their times together flashed through his mind. But years stood between them now. Years and life experiences. Liam had taken the high road straight into dark places. Brad appeared to have walked a peaceful valley and was well on his way to success in Jackson Hole.
As Liam followed Brad to the exit doors in the lobby, he hoped Brad had remained aboveboard. Given Brad’s knowledge of Liam’s law enforcement experience, there could be no way Brad was involved in anything illegal, though one of his investors was loosely linked to Malcom Fox.
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