Conard County Revenge

by Rachel Lee

  “We briefly had some militants on a ranch in the middle of forest service land, but it turned out the owner was being pushed along by a sovereign citizen group. We cleared that out and I haven’t heard anything along those lines since. Not a whisper. Which may be weird, I don’t know. Militias seem to be springing up like weeds these days, but not here. Not yet.” He drummed his fingers. “Okay, I’ll put ears among the vets, see if anyone feels someone is capable of this. Sad thing is, when most of these guys can’t handle it anymore, they take it out on themselves.”

  Most of the time, Darcy thought as she left the office. Veteran and military suicides were frighteningly frequent. But they didn’t usually involve a bomb of any kind.

  Damn, she felt like she was trying to pierce a dark veil. At this point, except for the original detonation device, she could probably rebuild the entire bomb.

  How long was the det cord? How far away was the bomber when he ignited it? Being close could be dangerous. A remote trigger would involve skill and soldered wires.

  She needed more pieces. Small pieces.

  “You were right at the outset,” she told Alex.

  “About what?”

  “About it not being one of your students. Gage is almost positive no one from the school was involved.”

  “So that leaves nearly ten thousand other people.”

  She gave a short, mirthless laugh. “Yeah. Small pool.”

  * * *

  That night, Darcy accepted Alex’s offer of his spare bedroom. He didn’t flatter himself that she wanted to be closer to him. No, it was a business decision. He was closer to the school; he had great cell reception and a landline if that failed. Besides, by staying here, she could bounce ideas around with him whenever they occurred.

  She told him about her boss having to scrape together four agents to send to Georgia to help with a serial bombing case.

  “That must be a real pinch considering he could only spare one for here.”

  She smiled faintly at him over the remains of their meal. “Feeling dissed?”

  “Not unless we find out we’ve got a serial bomber after all.”

  Her smile faded. “I hope we don’t.”

  “You getting edgy?”

  “Of course I am. If he’s in a testing phase, maybe he’s got another one ready to go. But what if he’s not? What if he’s making a whole bunch of them and we wake up some morning to the news? Anyway, once you get the method down, it doesn’t take a whole lot of time to build a second bomb. I’m getting impatient because we need to find this guy before he hurts someone.”

  “Of course.” He pushed back from the table. “Go on into the living room. I’ll bring you some Tia Maria.”

  She didn’t feel like arguing, so she did as he asked. It was a nice living room anyway. Perks of being a shop teacher, she guessed. She wouldn’t be surprised if he knew how to upholster, as well.

  But her mind was still racing like a hamster on a wheel and she accepted the liqueur gratefully. Maybe it would take the edge off. She needed something because her impatience to find a solution was growing apace with her investigation.

  This time Alex didn’t take the easy chair but sat right beside her on the couch. He lifted his glass toward her in a toast. “Take a night off, Darcy. Nothing’s going to happen tonight that you can do anything about. Give your brain a break to freshen up.”

  She nodded reluctantly. “I’m one of those people, Alex.”

  “What kind is that?”

  “I can’t leave a problem unsolved. I worry it endlessly. Letting go isn’t my thing.”

  “Ah.”

  She almost heard amusement in that single syllable. “What?”

  “You’re talking to someone who’s the same type. Look where it got me.”

  She tilted her head and looked at him from the corner of her eye. “I guess I should take that as a warning.”

  “Maybe you should.” All humor had vanished. “Look, you’ve got every law enforcement officer in this county out listening and looking. Did Charity tell you that the fire marshal is also poking around? She gets to go into all sorts of places to make sure codes are being observed. It’s not usual unless there’s been a problem, but she’s ratcheting up their code enforcement. Off-duty firefighters are being tasked to poke around, too.”

  “She didn’t mention it.” Darcy bit her lip. Was she being cut out? Maybe not, but she might as well be. She wasn’t feeling especially helpful.

  All of a sudden, Alex astonished her by wrapping his arm loosely around her shoulder. She nearly stiffened at the unaccustomed touch, at the liberty he was taking. But before she could reject the embrace, she realized how achingly much she wanted it.

  At last she gave in. For a little while at least, she was off duty and had the right to act like any other woman, especially when she’d be leaving here soon one way or another, case solved or unsolved. What risk could there be? And it wasn’t as if she thought Alex would want to cause her any problems with gossip.

  Although there was probably enough gossip making the rounds with her truck parked out front the last few nights.

  She sighed and leaned against his side, inviting a deeper hug. He obliged, squeezing her shoulders gently.

  “Get off the hamster wheel for a few hours,” he said quietly. “Right now we’re dealing with an impenetrable wall. We need a break of some kind and soon. But until it comes, how many times can you turn the pieces around in your head?”

  “An infinite number of times,” she admitted. “A bit of obsession.”

  “I don’t have to remind you I know all about that. But give this some thought, Darcy. Have you done all you can for the moment?”

  “I think so.”

  “Then take a breather.”

  Good advice, she supposed, even though it ran contrary to her nature. “I’m afraid another bomb will go off.”

  “We all are. But what can you do about that right this minute?”

  Not a thing, she thought unhappily. “Not a damn thing.”

  “Exactly.” Then he cuddled her a little closer and she rested her head in the hollow of his shoulder, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.

  “Did you get past the nightmares?” she asked.

  “Mostly. It’s been a while.”

  “The thing is, Alex, I think I’ll be living with nightmares the rest of my life if I don’t stop this guy before he hurts someone. It’s on my shoulders.”

  “Not just yours,” he argued. “An awful lot of people are working on this. But if it’s going to keep you awake, let’s go back to the school and look at the debris again.”

  She stirred, feeling her heart lurch. “Would you?”

  “Of course, I would if it’ll help you to feel better.”

  Amazing, she thought. Just amazing. Not many would make that offer. “No. I just need to learn to turn it off for a little while.”

  “I don’t know about turning it off. I think you wouldn’t be half as good if you did. But let it go to the background. I told you before, your subconscious can do a wonderful job while you’re thinking about something else.”

  “So how do I learn this wonderful trick?”

  He gave a husky laugh. “I have some ideas but you’d probably object. Just know that I find you incredibly attractive, and I’d have no problem distracting you for the rest of the night.”

  Her breath stuck in her throat. In all her life, no man had been so boldly honest with her. Her heart started thumping like a trip-hammer and all the oxygen fled the room.

  “I don’t want to get involved,” she managed to whisper. No, she had a job she wanted to keep. She wasn’t going to stay here.

  “Who said anything about getting involved?” he asked.

  The last of the wind whooshed from her. “Alex,” she croaked.

  He l
aughed, a deep, warm sound. “Told you I could distract you.”

  Irritation swept away the heaviness of growing desire. “Alex!” She turned her head and glared at him.

  “Of course,” he said, still smiling, “it helps that I meant it.”

  “Now, how am I supposed to take that?”

  “Any way that pleases you. You’re extremely attractive even in ATF overalls, and I’m a normal man. You’ve been dancing through my fantasies since you got here.”

  He’d been dancing through hers, too, she realized. Ever since she’d set eyes on him and thought he looked like a Viking.

  “Then there’s this whole thing you have about me looking like a Viking.”

  She flushed. “It just popped out. The way you look...”

  His mouth curved a little more. “A very romantic thing to say.”

  “Romantic?” She didn’t consider herself to be at all romantic. “It was just an observation. You do look like you descended from Vikings.”

  “Mainly, I guess, but not totally. Like so many in this country, I’m a mix.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Distracted?”

  She had to laugh. “You succeeded.” Succeeded in more than that, though. The attraction she’d been feeling for him from the outset had been on simmer because she wouldn’t let it loose, but now it was hotter than that. More demanding. She wondered if she had the ability to cut loose like that anymore.

  And then she wondered if she should try.

  * * *

  Jack had pled the resumption of school next week as an excuse to stay out with friends again. He could tell his dad was getting a bit impatient.

  “The chores still need to be done, Jack.”

  “I know, Dad. Promise I’ll do them tomorrow when I get back.”

  “Kids,” he said gruffly. “Just don’t get into any trouble.”

  He understood what that meant. His dad was making a point but wasn’t going to erupt if Jack skipped out. He always tried to make room for Jack to have a social life, even though it meant more work for him. He had a good dad.

  So just as long as he didn’t get himself arrested tonight, he was probably fine.

  But despite Darcy’s hope that someone might say something to Jack, no one had said a word. It was as if the county had a total blind spot about this bombing. As if no one honestly knew a thing. Even among his friends, who seemed to pick up tidbits of gossip from everywhere, there was nothing. An utter silence.

  He might be only seventeen, but Jack had already figured how hard it was for anyone to keep a secret around here. So that meant someone who had no social contacts. Someone so far in the background that people didn’t even notice him.

  Back to the vets who’d been mentioned for some reason. There were a few who’d shoot before they said hello to the mailman. Or so it seemed. They kept away from everyone. True hermits. One of them might be able to keep a secret. But could one of them make a bomb like this all alone?

  Probably, he decided. And something about the bomb had Darcy and Alex talking about vets.

  Well, he didn’t want to get his head blown off. He stopped to put more gas into his Chevy, then started cruising the darkened street. Nearly midnight. He didn’t know what he hoped to see or find, but he drove past the high school again and then out to the college campus, where he tooled through parking lots, then decided to drive the outer perimeter. During the day, the pavement was blocked for maintenance golf carts and students to walk, but at night no one cared.

  The few security guards on the campus were inside the buildings where they were most needed. At night, the place was like a ghost town. No dorms, no resident students. Those who came from long distances shared apartments in the complex that had originally been built for the brief period when they’d had a semiconductor plant on the edge of town.

  It was quiet, however, and he was a night owl anyway. Listening to his favorite music quietly, watching the mist rise from the ground beneath the trees, the result of the earlier rain—it made him feel good. Alone time was hard to come by between family, school and extracurriculars. He savored it.

  But driving in circles eventually bored him. He left the college behind and went out to the old semiconductor plant. Like so many things around here, it had brought a brief prosperity, and the temporary influx of high-tech workers, only a few of whom had remained.

  It had also brought tension to the close-knit community. That many new people had stirred things up, but before it could all settle down and the two camps could find a way to join, the plant had closed. Microchips had suddenly become cheap.

  Hardship had followed, not only for the people who had moved here. Many young people who lived here had found good jobs only to lose them. Promises of a resort in the mountains had been born only to die multiple times over the years. The talk was back, but so far the action was minimal.

  Jack honestly didn’t see much of a future here. Like others his age, he had bigger dreams and wanted brighter lights. He also knew how much his parents wanted him to stay.

  Reaching the edge of the plant building finally, he pulled over on the shoulder and stared at the darkened hulk. So far it hadn’t decayed much, maybe because the fences around it were high and a couple of men patrolled it at night. Or at least they had until recently. If those security guards never returned, Jack had no problem imagining that huge building becoming an eyesore, with broken windows and graffiti sprayed everywhere. The company’s promises that they would return as soon as the market improved had never materialized. Jack wondered if the place could be retooled to make solar panels, which seemed to be the up-and-coming thing. Surely those semiconductors would share some of the same qualities as solar panels and could reuse some of the tooling. But who listened to him?

  He turned off his music and rolled his window down to let the chilly night breeze in. It still smelled of the day’s rain: fresh and clean. He figured sooner or later a patrol would pass by and ask him what he was doing here. He couldn’t stay for long.

  But he still hadn’t come up with the interview questions he wanted to try out on some of the vets around here. Dang, he hadn’t realized this could be so hard. Maybe he should think of another approach.

  Just then, the night exploded. Jack’s car rocked in the shock waves, and after his vision returned, he saw that a huge part of the plant had vanished in smoke and fire.

  Then he saw a truck pull away farther down the road.

  Without another thought, he followed, excitement building in him. Maybe he could solve this whole thing!

  * * *

  The tremors woke both Darcy and Alex from sleep. They met in the hallway—him wearing boxer shorts, her wrapped in a robe.

  “Explosion?” they both said at once.

  Darcy added, “It felt like an earthquake.”

  “We have them from time to time but not often and not very strong. That must have rattled the whole town.”

  Darcy bit her lip. “How can we find out?”

  She’d barely spoken when sirens began to howl in town. Fire truck. Police. She looked at Alex, spared a wish they had time for her to enjoy the sight of him so scantily clad and then she turned back into her bedroom. “Let’s go.”

  She dressed swiftly in her overalls and work boots, and grabbed her gloves. Her hard hat and other equipment were in her vehicle. Back out in the hall she met Alex once again. He’d chosen jeans, heavy boots and a thick flannel shirt. Out of his hip pocket hung a pair of heavy-duty leather gloves.

  Neither of them said another word. Darcy felt her heart beating nervously, and all she could think was that if she were better at her job, this might not have occurred. She was fairly certain it was a bomb, probably a bigger one. What if someone had died because she hadn’t been able to find the perp earlier? What if she still couldn’t find the perp?

  Part of her felt like a total failure even as the rest
of her geared up into an intense professional mode. Logically she knew they had almost nothing to go on with the first bomb. Hell, they wouldn’t even know if the container was indeed an ammo can until the lab responded. A few pieces of wire. A small piece of det cord. The sheriff had been out asking questions and checking everywhere he could for purchases that might lead to this bomb.

  Again she reminded herself that ANFO was nearly untraceable. That was the point of going to all that trouble rather than buying a few sticks of dynamite and a blasting cap. Who knew how long this bomber had been building a stash for this?

  Well, she told herself as she drove as fast as she dared behind an emergency vehicle, maybe this scene would give her some really useful information.

  “It sounded bigger,” Alex remarked. “Bigger than the one at the high school.”

  “So it was practice.”

  “It looks that way.”

  “God, I hope he didn’t kill anyone.”

  “I guess we’re going to find out.” Then he surprised her by reaching out and resting his hand on her thigh. “Easy, Darcy. You’ve been doing the best job possible. We knew this was a possibility, but with all the eyes and ears local enforcement has on the ground, what were you supposed to do? Be a mind reader? It’s not like you find fingerprints on the stuff burned and heated by a bomb.”

  “No.” That much was true. Fingerprints resulted from oil on the fingertips. They didn’t usually survive a whole lot of heat.

  Ten minutes later on the western outskirts of town, they arrived at the scene. Firefighters were busy putting out flames and cooling the ruins. Nobody would be able to approach anytime soon.

  “Was the building occupied?” she asked Alex.

  “In theory, no. The company moved out years ago. For a long time they had some security guards, but I think they were dropped a year or so ago. Apparently whatever was left in there no longer needed guarding.”