by Angi Morgan
“I can go with that.”
“No radio in the helicopter?” he asked as they passed it. She answered with a look and a long sigh. “Right. First thing you would have tried.”
They headed up the trail. He was a lot weaker than he could let on, but they needed higher ground for cell reception.
“You okay?”
“I’ll manage.” He would.
“Mind if I stay close to make sure you do?” She shouldered up next to his right side.
“Going to hold my hand?”
“Maybe.” She smiled.
“Why hasn’t your father found you yet?”
“I’ve been asking myself the same question.”
“I’ll take your Glock back.” He extended his palm.
She slapped her hand on his, wrapping her fingers tight and keeping hold. “No offense, Pete, but I think I’ll keep it. You aren’t quite yourself at the moment.”
Perhaps she was right. She was definitely right about him not being one hundred percent. He’d seen her shoot. They’d both hit their target on the café patio and she hadn’t fallen to pieces when the body hit the ground. He didn’t know yet how he actually felt about shooting someone. It wasn’t like they’d had much time to think about their actions. Their assailant had been attempting to kill them. They didn’t need to think about it at the moment, either. There’d be plenty of time later.
“So, I’ve been thinking, since I haven’t had much else to do all afternoon waiting on you to wake up.”
Unless he wanted to walk home, they had another good fifteen-minute hike before they got a phone signal. They’d never manage a call at the bottom of one of these gullies, even if it was the easiest route home.
“What conclusion did you come to?” He was gaining confidence with each step. Up it was and then down the other side to the Scout camp he’d gone to in his youth.
She took a step away from him, angling toward a path cows and horses had beaten over time. “You can’t be serious?”
He pointed toward the butte. “E.T. should phone home.”
She faced him with both hands on her hips. “You are never going to let me live down that aliens were chasing me, are you?”
He laughed. Really laughed. There was something about the way she stood there along with the way she held her mouth and tilted her head. “No, I don’t think I am.”
She didn’t ask if he was up to the climb, just took a step and looped her bandaged wrist through his right arm. One wobbly step at a time, he stayed on his feet.
“As I was saying, I’ve had a lot of time to think. When the aliens showed up at the observatory—” she used her original description of the men trying to kill her without skipping a beat “—it didn’t make a lot of sense.”
“How did they know you were leaving? And why are they trying to grab you?” They kept a steady pace on the inclined path. “After we make the call, we need to take cover. We can’t be certain they aren’t listening to my phone, but it’s more likely they were monitoring the police bands.”
“Right. So we’re thinking along the same lines.”
“You’re a valuable asset just because of your father. But why risk losing men and a helicopter?”
“Exactly. They might think I know something, yet killing me would be the fastest, most reliable way to eliminate that threat.”
He’d never met anyone like her. She wasn’t upset or falling apart. “Does this happen to you all the time?”
“Hardly. I grew up preparing for it, though. I wanted to please my parents and did everything possible to make them proud.”
“Like learning to fly helicopters?”
“That’s actually fun. All of it has been to some degree, I guess.” She squeezed his biceps. “You’ll have to tell me about your treks into the mountains sometime. Right now, concentrate on breathing. We’ll have time to get to know each other later.”
He was surprised how much he wanted that to be true. “The aliens either think you know something or they wanted to hold you hostage in order to exchange you for something.”
“That is the same conclusion I came to earlier. Unfortunately, neither of those reasons explains why they attacked in broad daylight using a helicopter. I mean, wouldn’t it have made more sense to enter through the door, take us by surprise and then signal for the chopper once they were successful?”
He stopped and checked his pockets for the phone.
“Looking for this?” She handed him his cell after pulling it from her back pocket. “I turned it off to save the battery.”
He turned it on, then continued their climb. He wanted this point to be high enough for a connection but it wasn’t. They climbed in silence for a while, thinking. “You’re right. Their attack doesn’t make sense. They would have assured themselves of your location, been ready to get in and out, not hang back. They could have overrun me easily.”
“Unless it’s all a diversion.”
“You’re brilliant.” She was gorgeous and brilliant. The phone was ready. He pulled up his dad’s cell number and tapped the speaker.
“Pete?”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Thank God. Is Andrea with you?”
“We’re both great. I think my cell might be compromised.”
“We assumed communications weren’t safe. Do you know your location?”
“Yeah, I could go for a Buffalo swim if it were open.”
“Ah, gotcha. Nicely done, son. We’ll be there ASAP.” Andrea looked around, obviously wondering about his coded message.
“Sort of wondered why you haven’t found us already,” he asked his dad.
“We lost the helicopter soon after takeoff. Took us until about half an hour ago to discover that neither of you was with the last man who escaped to the south.”
“Five men. Three in the chopper and two in a vehicle?”
“Correct and all accounted for. Commander Allen wants to talk to his daughter.”
“Are you all right, Andrea?” her father asked.
“Yes, sir. Not a scratch.”
“That’s my girl. Mechanical difficulties?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The search team got a late start. We’ll steer them to you soon. You’re certain you’re fine?”
“She’s brilliant, sir,” Pete answered when he noticed the tears in Andrea’s eyes. “We better save the battery, sir. Just in case.”
“Certainly.” He disconnected.
* * *
“HE’S NOT MUCH for goodbyes.” Andrea used a knuckle to wipe the moisture from her eyes. Pete might get the wrong impression...or the right one. Either way, she could break down later. Think about everything...later.
With the exception that Pete thought she was brilliant.
“This is a pretty good place to wait. If you hear the wrong helicopter again, we can dart down this side of the hill.” He nodded behind her. “Closer to the road.”
She squinted, noticing the buildings at the bottom of the canyon. There was a well-marked trail zigzagging down. “You mean I was one hill away from civilization?”
“Yeah, but to its credit, it was a large hill.” He was still breathing hard from their hike, but smiling.
“We’re resting. Sit.” They chose one of the smoother rocks and kept their backs to the sun. It was quiet. A gentle wind was the only sound. If whoever was chasing her did understand Pete’s description of their location, she’d be able to hear them straightaway.
“So, a diversion? That makes sense.”
“Whatever happened this afternoon had to be a profitable enough deal to sacrifice five men and a helicopter. It wasn’t rigged for the light show they used to imitate the phenomenon near Marfa. It sounded like this type of Hiller, but this one is bare bones.”
“So they have another chopper.”
“It’s logical to assume so.”
“Whoever’s behind this discovered who you were and used the opportunity presented to them to their advantage.” Pete wiped his
brow. “Are you certain you don’t have experience being a detective?”
“I had an hour and a half to myself, and deductive reasoning just happens to be my strength.”
“So your switching places with Sharon last night was purely coincidental. If I were them, I might assume you work at the observatory. I don’t think I’d assume you’re the daughter of a director with Homeland Security.”
“Sharon. Sharon knew. I talked about it last week. About how difficult it was for me to convince the university to let me come, since my dad was opposed.” She had to move, so she jumped to her feet. “Shoot. I forgot the first rule my dad taught me. He’s been paranoid about my mother and me since he joined the DHS. Afraid someone would attempt exactly what they did today.”
“Then we can’t assume Sharon’s switching with you was a coincidence. This might have been the plan all along.”
“They couldn’t have known I’d say yes. And what about the man in the desert?” She walked a few feet and tugged a long leaf off a bush, nervously tearing the ends off.
“He’s an undercover agent who discovers the plan to abduct his commander’s daughter. I can think of a lot of reasons he’d risk warning someone. So last night the aliens aren’t smuggling drugs across the border, they’re searching for an escaped hostage—your dad’s undercover man. He’s got details they can’t let be exposed, but he finds his way to you. They run you off the road and would have abducted you.”
“But you came along. They don’t know that the agent didn’t tell me anything, but they want to make certain.”
“Somehow they know he’s Homeland Security and send someone in posing as...”
“The phony agent,” they said together.
“How would they have known he was DHS? Your dad’s man from the desert was pretty beat up. They could have gotten the info from him.” Pete stood, shaded his eyes and checked out the terrain behind him. “Then again, it makes more sense that they discovered him if he was trying to warn your dad about the danger you were in.”
“If all of this is just coincidence, though... Why is Sharon still missing?”
Not answering said more than trying to soothe her guilty conscience. He thought Sharon was dead. Once they got the necessary information from her, they wouldn’t need her any longer. “Do you think they killed Sharon or that she was working with them?”
“I don’t believe these men think twice about eliminating anyone who stands in their way.”
“I’m sorry one of those people was your deputy. Logan seemed nice.”
“I had to cover for him a lot. Now I know why. He was a good kid. I didn’t have much else to do. If I hadn’t worked all night, I’d be up taking care of ranch chores. I’d rather ride on patrol.”
He lifted an eyebrow, smiled and she knew the subject was changing. “Hey, you going to share how you got outside from the maintenance closet?”
She waved her injured wrist. “Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. Good thing I can pull my own weight, injured or not. Once I got into the crawl space and found a way to the roof, I climbed down the steel beams that formed the partial shade over the door. They were at a slant and got me close enough to the ground that I could drop.”
“Is that the Commander’s chopper?” he asked, facing the south to catch a glimpse. She nodded, and he dusted off his jeans with his good hand. “You’re a very competent, capable woman.”
“Tell that to my father.” She followed him back the way they’d come. There was plenty of room for another chopper to land. “He’s going to command me to leave. I doubt he’ll hang around long enough to drop you by the hospital.”
“I don’t blame him.”
“I’m not certain I’m leaving.” There was too much unfinished business here. “I don’t want to run away.”
“Of course you should.” He stopped, grabbing her upper arms, wincing at the sudden movement of his own injury. “Seven men are dead. You can’t just shrug that off. It’s dangerous for you here.”
“Whatever reason they had to abduct me, it’s gone now.”
“You don’t know that.” His grip tightened, but it didn’t hurt. It seemed he was fighting to keep her at arm’s length. She would have preferred to be pulled next to his chest.
“But you agreed with me.”
The chopper was getting closer.
“A good guess doesn’t mean we’re correct.” His good hand cupped her shoulder.
“I know you’re right.” Then why was the first thought in her head how to ditch her new escort that hadn’t even been assigned to her yet? Then find a way back to Pete’s place. She didn’t even know where Pete’s place was. “What if I don’t go back with my father?”
“But you agreed—” Pete searched her eyes and she wasn’t certain what he saw, but he dropped his hands to his sides. “Come on, Andrea. What would be gained from staying? You have nothing to prove.”
She didn’t want to stay just for Pete. She barely knew him. But her heart dropped when he started back down the path, leaving her to follow again. “How are you going to catch the men responsible for Logan’s death? What about Sharon? You said I was good at this detective stuff.”
“Do you really think your father’s going to allow you to stay? He was packing you off before the attack. There’s no way he’s saying yes.”
That was true. She’d rarely stood up to her parents. Their advice was usually firm and logical. So there had never been a reason to question them. The exception was when her father had declared she couldn’t come to West Texas in person. Perhaps if he’d explained his reasons instead of dictating, seven men wouldn’t be dead and a young woman wouldn’t still be missing.
“There’s one thing that everyone around me keeps forgetting. You can’t force me to leave the observatory.”
Chapter Thirteen
There had been many times throughout Pete’s teenage years that he’d argued with his dad. During the past six weeks, he’d been holding back because of his dad’s heart attack, but he was building up to a doozy of a fight. If he confronted him, he’d been thinking that all hell would break loose.
“They still at it?” Honey asked from her desk.
“I didn’t know people could yell that long without a drink or shot of tequila,” his dad joked.
Andrea and her father might not have the exact family problems, but they definitely had a lot of words to share. If he’d known, he would have taken them to the middle of the desert for this confrontation instead of his dad’s old office.
The door flew open and the Commander marched out, eyes front without any acknowledgment as he passed them. Pete had no illusions. That was not the expression of a man who had achieved his goal—which was to get Andrea on the next transport home.
Commander Allen executed a one-eighty to be face-to-face with him. “You should get that wound seen to.” His voice was void of inflection yet full of buried emotion.
Or maybe it was just Pete’s own anxiety pushing its way onto others. He didn’t need the responsibility of an attractive woman in his life or workplace. It was time for decisions.
“She’s determined to stay,” Allen continued. “And mad as hell at me because she’s not.”
“Yes, sir. I understand your frustration.” She wasn’t going to be his responsibility. That was good. Very good. His personal desire didn’t amount to anything in this decision.
“I need coffee before round two.”
“Does it matter if it’s good?” his dad asked.
“I’m used to the worst.”
“Around the corner and you’ll smell the sludge,” his dad directed but walked beside the Commander, who threw back his head laughing at something else his father had said.
Pete could only scratch his head.
“Everyone show up for their shift?” he asked Honey. “When will the Griggs family arrive?” Could he pull off business as usual? Swing by the café for a break without the rest of the town asking what the hell was going on? He needed a minute to
take care of his responsibilities. Another minute to think. But where? His best bet for a reprieve was his house.
“Yes, and in about forty-five minutes,” Honey answered.
No time to make it to the house and back. He needed a real meal, not just a package of pretzels from the vending machine, before he could face Logan’s parents. He glanced up to see Andrea standing in the office doorway and then their dads rounded the corner with smiles on both their faces.
“Pete, would you join me a minute?” Andrea’s father asked, gesturing to the office.
Did anyone lower on the totem pole ever tell this man no?
“We’ve been tracking a high number of gun purchases by a few individuals. We believe something big’s in the works, that the cartel is tired of receiving their guns one or two at a time. Homeland likes your distraction theory, Pete,” Commander Allen stated once the door was closed.
Pete kept his hands tucked in his armpits and his mouth shut. Andrea had let her father believe he had thought up the distraction angle. He was sure they both sort of followed that trail together.
“We checked out some satellite pictures and discovered a large number of trucks crossing the border at Presidio into Manuel Ojinaga. You were right. They wanted us focused on the attempted abduction instead of the payment delivery for a major drug deal. I think it’s time I brought you onto the team, Sheriff.”
There wasn’t any doubt which sheriff their visitor from Homeland Security was directing his comment to. Pete caught himself swallowing hard, nervous. He knew his job and his county and didn’t have anything to feel nervous about. Nothing except losing everything if DHS checked into his background.
Pete understood the sideways glance from his father. A look that said keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking.
Easy for his dad, who had kept his mouth shut for over twenty-six years. He’d kept a secret that could potentially destroy them both. Andrea sat in his father’s chair, head down, not making eye contact.
“I’m setting up a task force and I need you to be a part of it.”
Pete snapped his attention back to the Commander. “You need me. Why?”
“You’re familiar with the area and think on your feet. We need some of that and someone to coordinate with the other county sheriffs or local police.”