by Meg Ripley
“But this was clearly a bear shifter attack! No wild bear around these parts would do this. We could be risking exposing our existence publicly over some travel guide?”
Pure-blooded black bears killed less than one person a year and there were at least a million of them in North America—I knew it couldn’t have been one of them. It was a shifter, and Knox was trying to get us all killed over whoever the idiot was.
“I’m calling it in. End of discussion. You both are ordered to not touch the body until they get here to examine it.” Knox commanded, marching back into the woods.
“So, we’re just supposed to sit here and wait while whoever did this could be getting away?” I shouted after him. It was getting more and more difficult to control my anger. I should have been out there looking for the killer.
“You will do as I say!” I felt the overwhelming pressure of the Alpha authority wash over me and I became silent, my body rippling from confined anger.
Knox said nothing else and walked away.
Sophia stepped closer to me. “Hey…I know you don’t want someone coming in and telling you what to do, but it’s the law. And you know it better than any of us. It would have been great if we went along protecting this park ourselves and never had to get the feds involved, but we all knew there was a chance that it could happen one day. I’ll admit, I didn’t think it would happen this soon, especially after that crew of rogue bears caused all that trouble a few months ago, but who knows! Maybe it won’t be so bad?”
Sophia looked at me and shrugged. She wanted me to accept this, but it was just too hard of a pill to swallow.
“It’s going to be a real shit show, I just know it. Some guy with a pole up his ass coming here, acting like he knows this place? It’s just bad news. Not to mention having them sticking their nose in our business? Everyone will have to be on their toes, including the person who did this. And we have no way of controlling that because we have no idea who it is that did this! There is literally no way this can go well.”
“Wow, Trent, so optimistic! No wonder Knox keeps you around!” Sophia said sarcastically. She patted my shoulder and then went to sit on a rock near the body. “Might as well take a seat and get comfortable; we might be here for a while. In fact, we’ll definitely be here for a while.”
She sighed and looked out at the ocean.
“I don’t know who I’d rather deal with, them or you,” I said, shaking my head and sitting on a rock near hers.
She laughed and nudged me playfully. Sophia had always been like a sister to me and was always there to lighten the mood. Even still…
I was not looking forward to this.
Not one bit.
Chapter 2 – Blanca
“We are now flying over Acadia and will be touching down momentarily.” I heard the pilot’s voice in my ears through the headset.
I looked out the window of the FBI emergency helicopter to see at least twenty mountains and lakes. My gaze widened in awe, taking in everything I could with long sweeps of my eyes.
It was beautiful. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I found the view absolutely breathtaking. The lakes looked crystal blue, sparkling as the sun shone on them. The mountains were tall and all I could think was that if I got any down time before I left, I wanted to hike one, for sure.
“I know you guys aren’t here for pleasure or anything, but we are just passing over Acadia’s Eagle Lake, and I would highly recommend visiting if you get the chance after your investigation is over,” the pilot said. I looked out and saw a giant lake; it looked so inviting, like its waters were beckoning to us with its cerulean fingers.
“And just over there, you can see Cadillac Mountain. If you’re out early enough, it’s a beautiful place to watch the sun rise.”
I kind of liked this pilot.
“How do you know so much about the park?” I asked into my headset.
“I took my wife here for our 10-year anniversary. She’s really into nature and we loved it.”
Once I thought about it, it seemed like a fantastic place to spend a few days, but I wasn’t there for a vacation. I wouldn’t be doing much mountain climbing, swimming, hiking or anything like that.
I was there to investigate a death and possible murder.
I wasn’t given much information about the case, only that there had been a death in Acadia National Park. I was in shock when I had heard Danielle Peterson was the victim, as she was one of the most well-known TV personalities at the time. If people watched the Travel Channel, it was for her. What could have possibly happened?
I wasn’t sure, but I was there to find out.
Investigations involving national parks were usually handed off to the Department of the Interior, but due to the high case volume they were experiencing, my team had taken over. With everyone else working on their own assignments, I was the lucky one chosen to hop on the next helicopter out to Acadia.
I didn’t mind; it wasn’t like I had a case to work on at the time. Plus, it was just the kind of investigation I was often picked for. Any assignments involving thieves, murderers and terrorists were usually handed off to me. If someone asked, I’d tell them that those people had no place on this earth and I was glad to put them behind bars. People who broke the law deserved to be punished and I was happy to help exact justice whenever I could. Some people hated their jobs, but I looked forward to every case.
However, I didn’t have enough information to tell if the case would involve a murderer and I sure as hell wasn’t going to make assumptions. I went by the facts, and there was little for me to go on, so I would have to wait.
I was lucky that my supervisor had found two agents from other teams to assist me. I would need some help, especially if we ended up catching a person responsible for the death. He or she would be detained until we could take the individual back to headquarters for questioning, and I would need people from our side to watch over the suspect. I didn’t know anyone at the park, and until I cleared them all of suspicion, I didn’t trust a single one of them.
Jesus himself could work there and I would make sure to check out his background file and alibi.
The file for this case contained several sheets of paper. The first outlined the call that was made to the FBI by the Deputy Park Manager, reporting that he found the body of Danielle Peterson dead in his park. The rest of the meticulously printed papers were outlines of the individuals who held jobs at Acadia. The reports didn’t contain too much detail, other than names, races, ages, and how long the person had held his or her position at the park. Or was it a wild life preserve? I couldn’t remember and I supposed it didn’t matter. The last of the stack included two files that had large X marks on them with the word “Deceased” stamped across their fronts. I wondered if those positions had been refilled yet and what had been the cause of their deaths. If so, those were variables that I didn’t have the appropriate information on, and I would need to gather that as quickly as I could.
Just try to focus on the death you were sent here to investigate, I told myself, taking a deep breath. I felt adrenaline start to pump through me as we descended onto Acadia’s helicopter pad. The Acadia Air Tour helicopter was parked to the side and three people were standing just outside of range waiting for us.
Once we touched down, I grabbed my briefcase and removed my headset. “Get ready,” I said to the agents behind me. “We need to be prepared for anything, starting right now.”
I looked out the window and the three people were walking towards the helicopter. I could see them clearly and they were only a couple of feet away from the safety range. There were two men and one woman, a pair of them in similar outfits and one dressed in a much more casual outfit.
The woman was brunette sporting a shoulder-length ponytail. She wore a green bomber jacket with ranger patches all over it, a white tee shirt, and grey pants. She looked fit, but not overly-muscular or anything. She probably hiked through the park often, especially by the looks of her boots. I gue
ssed she must be Hispanic or mixed as my eyes passed over her caramel complexion.
The tallest guy had a buzzed, military-style cut and was very muscular. He looked serious, but his posture was open. His peachy complexion was mostly covered by a navy blue long sleeve shirt and slightly loose jeans.
Seems a little too casual if you ask me, I snorted. If only the FBI allowed casual days. I didn’t mind the business suits, but jeans and a tee shirt just seemed so comfortable. I guessed no one would take me seriously though, so I quickly decided that the suits were better anyway.
The last guy did not give the impression he was happy to be there. He wasn’t even looking at the helicopter and seemed to be purposely avoiding acknowledging it. The man donned what appeared to be a ranger police uniform. He was wearing a grey button-down long sleeve shirt, a dark green tie and, appropriately, forest green pants. The guy was also sporting hiking boots and his badge was displayed prominently on his chest, probably clipped to his breast pocket. He was tall and tanned from the sun with a football player’s build, complete with broad, muscular shoulders. His brow was furrowed, and his hands were hidden in his pockets.
The pilot gave the okay for us to exit the helicopter and I opened the door, ready to officially meet the welcoming trio.
It was a chilly mid-November day—but warm for Maine—another plus for wearing a pantsuit. It was about forty degrees and very breezy, causing my black blazer to whip around me. It was a good thing I decided to wear a black camisole under my white button-up shirt; I was thankful for the small extra layer. My legs, however, felt the chill of the wind under my black dress pants. It was also a good thing I decided to wear flats and not heels; after four days of wearing them in the office, I had decided I needed a break.
Because of my short legs, I had to jump down from the helicopter; it must have looked so professional, like a kid leaping off a tall stool. One of the agents had offered me a hand, but I refused it; I wanted these people, whoever they were, to take me seriously.
I got my badge ready as I walked up to them, using my briefcase to block some of the wind, and the other two agents followed close behind me. Once I was clear, the helicopter took off, thank god; I didn’t like having to yell at people over the loud noise of the engine and whirring blades above our heads.
As I walked up to the group waiting for us, the man with the buzz cut approached me directly.
“Hello, I’m Knox Bernard, the Deputy Park Manager. I apologize for my casual appearance; this was supposed to be my day off.” He then motioned to the brunette woman and she smiled, seeming very friendly, “This is Sophia Ross, our Emergency Manager.” She pulled on one side of her bomber jacket to show me her medic badge.
“And this is our Law Enforcement Ranger, Trent Bailey.” Knox motioned to the man beside him, who seemed to study me for a bit and then gave a curt nod. Trent didn’t motion to his badge or anything; not that I needed him to, it was just common courtesy in this business. He obviously wasn’t happy to be there, and it showed in his introduction and body language.
I inwardly rolled my eyes. Men in law enforcement never liked for women to be higher in rank than them. And judging by his behavior, he wasn’t happy that his boss had called me in to handle this case.
I didn’t care. I wasn’t there to coddle his ego; I was there to find a possible murderer. He could either help me or not; it would be his choice.
Looking at him again, he would be kind of hot, if it wasn’t for the attitude.
Oh well, I wasn’t going to try to butter him up. I didn’t mix business with pleasure, anyway.
“And you are?” Knox asked, raising an eyebrow. He obviously wasn’t going to start talking about anything until I introduced myself. Knox was wary, but he had friendly eyes and I could tell he was going to be as cooperative as I needed him to be. I got the same vibe from Sophia, but I knew Trent was going to be a piece of work.
“Blanca Gianni, FBI. I’m the agent assigned to this case.” I showed my badge to all three of them, and they each examined it and nodded, accepting its legitimacy. Trent seemed to inspect it more closely than the other two, his brow furrowing, which I tried especially hard not to roll my eyes at.
Of course, he would do that.
I’m here, and there’s nothing you can do about it until this case is solved. So, lose the attitude and get with the program, I thought, getting a bit annoyed that I was going to have to deal with him for the entirety of the investigation, most likely. I, of course, didn’t say those words out loud, but made a mental note to remember them in case he needed his ego checked sometime in the next few days.
“This is Alex and Gerard; they are here to assist with my investigation.” I motioned to the guys behind me who also showed their badges. “Now, please fill me in. Where was the body found? Who found her? Who examined her? I need as many details as possible.”
“Why don’t we fill you in once we take you to see the body? Seeing it might answer some questions on its own. It’s less than a ten-minute walk and you can draw your own conclusions. We tried to leave the body where it was in case it would help you get some clues for the investigation. If you will just follow us,” Knox started walking off, with Sophia and Trent right behind him.
“Stay close.” I whispered to Alex and Gerard. I didn’t like the fact that they didn’t answer my questions initially. They seemed legit, but I didn’t quite trust them just yet. I needed to see the body first; until then, I wasn’t going to take any chances.
With Alex and Gerard following closely, we trailed after the three rangers to Danielle’s body.
Chapter 3 – Trent
You’ve got to be kidding me…
The feds could have sent anyone in their entire agency, and they chose her?
I watched as she examined the body silently, moving around it slowly, taking in every detail as she jotted notes down on a small pad. She was about five feet tall, a foot shorter than me. She looked younger than me, mid-twenties, but her height made her seem even more adolescent in my eyes. She had jet black hair tied tightly in a bun, but there were a few wavy strands loose from the wind. On top of being short, she was pear shaped, thinner on top, with wide hips and thick thighs.
Those hips look perfectly built for bearing children…I rolled my eyes at my inner bear’s primal thoughts and pushed back the surge of heat that began to spread through my body. There was no way I was looking at her like that. She was here to tell me what to do; to take over my job. I just wanted her out of here. Hopefully, she summed this up to a bear attack and not an actual murder; then, we could conduct our own investigation to find the shifter who was responsible.
Once she was done examining the body, she walked back up to Knox, Sophia, and I, who were standing together off to the side, trying our best to stay out of her way.
“Now that I’ve seen the body, are you going to answer my questions?” she asked bluntly, her pen at the ready.
She doesn’t waste any time, does she? I clenched my jaw and looked at Knox to see how he would respond.
“Well, I’m sure seeing the body has answered where it was found. It was discovered by Trent here, who contacted Sophia immediately to confirm the victim’s death. If she’d been alive, Sophia would have provided medical attention immediately. She’s our medic as well as our search and rescue specialist,” Knox said, nodding to Sophia who returned his gesture.
But Blanca wasn’t looking at them.
Her eyes were on me.
“So, it was you who found the body, huh?”
“Yes.” My response was clipped. I was ordered to be cooperative, but that didn’t mean I had to be friendly. I felt Knox studying me.
Blanca continued her line of questioning, “Were there signs of anyone around when you came upon the body?”
“No.” I tried to remove any trace of irritation from my voice as to not anger Knox, but the lady was pushing it. Obviously, I did my job and scoped out the perimeter.
“No footprints?” She looked at me
suspiciously with her crystalline blue eyes.
Oh shit… My eyes widened slightly. I hadn’t even thought to check for footprints. I had been so quick to call Sophia to see if there was any chance of saving the body, and when I had looked around initially, I didn’t see anything. I would have noticed if there had been footprints.
“I don’t remember seeing any footprints when I scoped the area,” I admitted. It was the truth; I hadn’t noticed any. I spotted Knox’s brow furrow in my peripheral vision.
Did you check for footprints, Trent? I heard Knox’s voice echo in my head. I sighed, not wanting to lie to him, but also not wanting to have to deal with his reaction.
Not exactly. I didn’t see anything when I looked around, but I also didn’t actively search for them. I was so focused on getting Sophia here to examine the body… I winced at the angry look Knox was giving me.
As soon as her initial inspection is over, you are to scout the area and look for footprints that might lead us to the shifter, understood? There was that Alpha authority again, pushing down on me and making me nod quickly. Knox usually didn’t have to impose his leadership ability often, but having the FBI there must have had him on edge.
You’re not the only one stressed… I thought, then shifted my gaze to Blanca, who was looking back and forth between me and Knox. Shit, this chick is observant.
“I’m sorry, did I miss something?” she asked. I could hear the interest in her voice as she studied us.
“Nope,” I shrugged, trying to hide the slight panic I felt. There was no way she could know about our intra-clan telepathy, but it made me uneasy that she could possibly guess anything close to it. The way her eyes looked at—no, through—me was more than a little bit uncanny.
It looked like she either accepted that nothing just happened, or she decided to let it go because she began to jot down some notes before moving on to Sophia.