“A pack of approximately half a dozen full-grown wolves crossed the outpost. I didn’t follow them because”—she rolled her eyes in his direction—“somebody interrupted me.”
Jake shrugged a shoulder and offered her a half smile. “Were they collared?”
Cassidy paused and frowned. Jake stopped beside her and waited for her answer. “You know, I couldn’t say. It was dawn, and the light was bad due to fog. But we know they’re in this quadrant. I’ll try another location tonight.” She started walking ahead of him and took a moment to gaze around at the scenery. “Did you know …”
Jake groaned, and she reached back and punched his arm. “Knowledge is power, Jake.” He rolled his eyes, and she laughed. “Did you know that from November to early May most of the park roads are closed, making this region isolated from civilization?”
“Nope, didn’t know that.” Jake said with a deadpan face.
He didn’t fool her; Cassidy saw the interest spark in his eyes. His soul craved solitude and wilderness whether he wanted to admit it or not. “It was one of my favorite times of the year. My father and I would ride our snowmobiles through the designated trails. You wouldn’t see another soul for hours.”
Jake surprised her with a nod of agreement. “My dad and I love taking out four-wheelers when we’re lucky enough to get snow. A hundred acres of nothing but white. It’s beautiful.”
For some reason, family didn’t seem like one of Jake’s assets. It made Cassidy curious. “Where’s your land?”
“About sixty miles north of Atlanta.”
“Do you live there?” It seemed unfathomable to Cassidy to actually have a home and maintain the level of work required of ZEBRA field personnel.
Jake laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. Beneath all this muscle, I’m a real homebody at heart.”
The warmth of his smile was genuine, and that little kick of she-didn’t-know-what attacked her stomach. Maybe the trail mix was causing indigestion.
“Tell me about your childhood,” he urged.
Too close.
Cassidy shrugged and offered a smile, hoping it covered her panic.
“Maybe another time.”
They reached the base a little over an hour later. She’d concentrated on idle chatter, refusing to allow him anymore access to her inner self, as well as distancing the conversation on anything that might make her see Jake Anderson as anything other than an irritating coworker.
Cassidy rounded a bend, balancing herself against the steep incline by leaning back. Yellow tape flapped in front, surprising her. As she focused on the area, the chalk outline of a body had her quickly shuffling backwards and smashing her back against Jake’s chest. “Easy girl,” he said against her ear, sending a shiver of awareness down her spine. Damn him.
Mistake. Move forward. Find air.
She stepped forward, putting at least five paces between them. “I’m fine. It just took me by surprise.” Crime scene tape flapped in the wind, and after a quick glance around, she selected a trail down an incline outside of the cordoned off area.
It was almost 10:30 and the midmorning sun beat down relentlessly, springing rivers of sweat to life that ran in tiny trickles across Cassidy’s brow and down her cheekbones. Jake moved in front of her, and she reluctantly accepted his hand as he assisted her in stepping around a prickly patch of loose rock and dirt.
“Who found the body?”
“Me.”
She paused. Scrunching up her nose, she glanced at him. “Ick.” He shrugged and signaled her to keep moving. “Cause of death?”
“Indeterminable, but I bet it has something to do with blood loss.”
She shot him a puzzled look. “Why?”
He pointed to the area in the center of the taped off quadrant, and Cassidy inhaled sharply at the size of the puddles and sodden ground.
“Time of death?”
“Around 2 a.m., I believe. Why?”
Cassidy gazed at the crime scene. “Why didn’t I hear anything?”
“You were twenty miles up, Sunshine. If, like you said, she was nowhere near your location, you couldn’t possibly have heard a thing.”
“Noise travels these trails like rumors at a cocktail party. I should’ve heard something.”
Jake glanced at her thoughtfully.
Cassidy pointed toward the path they’d descended. “The silence that surrounds the observation post is complete. My ears are tuned to any variance in noise. I was perched directly above the crime scene.” She turned and stared at Jake. “Any strange sound should have carried straight up to me.”
“That far?”
Cassidy shrugged. “An average person might not differentiate an odd tone, but I’m a trained observer and certainly should’ve heard something.”
“You’ve got a point. I’ll be right back.”
She waved him away. A little peace and quiet before facing the real world was just what she needed. Cassidy stepped out of the woods onto the road. She watched Jake speaking with a man in a black windbreaker. FBI. Now what are they doing here? Jake lifted his head and returned her gaze. The heat in his eyes stole her breath.
She needed space.
Shaking her arms in an attempt to shed the uncomfortable attraction for Jake, she cursed and paced in a tight circle.
“This isn’t good, Lowell.”
Jake joined her. “Talking to yourself again?”
“Yep, Goofy. I am.” She smirked when he raised one eyebrow at the name she used, and they walked to the Jeep. “What’s with the feds?”
“They’re trying to tie the dead body into the drug ring that’s plaguing Yellowstone. Apparently, the dealers are crossing state borders in different spots each time, making tracking complicated.”
Cassidy climbed into the Jeep. “Huh. Sounds like Ethan has his hands full.” She rested her head against the back of the seat, sighing at the comfort of its padding. As Jake drove away from the trail, exhaustion, both emotional and physical, finally took hold. Oblivion closed upon her mind, shutting it down as easily as flicking a switch. She shifted her weight away from the uncomfortable presence of Jake and placed her forehead against the window, slipping away from the present and allowing sleep to claim her.
CHAPTER 17
JAKE DRUMMED HIS FINGERS ON THE SLEEK SURFACE OF THE conference table. The rhythmic motion aided in untangling the convoluted information dump of the past twenty-four hours. Leaning forward, he grabbed his pen and scribbled on several index cards. He picked them up, fanned them like a deck of cards, then placed each on the flat surface. Beams of late-afternoon sun sparkled on the wood finish, making several of the cards difficult to read. He adjusted them.
Wolves. Post 29. Cassidy Lowell. Niger Delta. Ethan Connor. New World Petroleum. Murder.
All separate, yet undeniably linked.
Tapping the card labeled Ethan Connor, he tried to focus on what bothered him about the man. Both times he’d been in the park ranger’s presence, his senses had kicked into high alert. Why? Something rested within the depths of the man’s eyes that didn’t shoot straight with Jake. Snapping open his cell phone, he punched in a number. The automated system routed his call and when requested, he entered his security code. A few seconds later, his call was routed over a secure line.
“Identification?” A computerized voice asked.
“Anderson, Jake. Delta Squad. Black Stripe.” He then spouted his identification number and answered several more questions. There was a brief pause, and his call finally connected.
“Captain Anderson, what can I do for you?”
“I need a complete background check on Chief Ethan Connor employed by Yellowstone National Park with specific focus into his connection with Dr. Cassidy Lowell, ZEBRA, White Stripe.”
“Priority?” The detached voice asked.
“Red.” He disconnected.
The humming noise of water-filled pipes stopped, and after a few minutes he heard Cassidy’s bathroom door open and close. She’d been exh
austed after last night, and he’d insisted she nap. With his head tilted to the side, he listened as she rummaged through her stuff. Jake chuckled when her voice floated through the wall in an indecipherable litany of sentences. Her habit of talking to herself amused him.
He picked up the card with her name scrawled across its white surface in bold letters and traced his finger along the black pen marks. Jake sifted through what he knew. Cassidy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Principia College and fast-forwarded through her doctorate in zoology from the University of Georgia, returning home to participate in the release of the gray wolves into Yellowstone. Her parents died the summer after the wolves were released while day-cruising on an ultra-light.
ZEBRA attempted to woo Cassidy into their fold from the time she began her graduate studies in Athens, Georgia. After her parents’ tragic accident, she ran back to Atlanta and dove into the organization with such dedication it made Jake’s tenure in the armed forces seem like a vacation. Cassidy’s zoological successes spanned the globe, making her one of the leading authorities on endangered species.
Jake lifted his head and stared at her bedroom’s closed door. He heard her moving around, humming a song that seemed familiar, but her voice drifted off before he could identify it. Her biography was black and white. The woman, however, remained a kaleidoscope of contradiction.
The scent of shampoo and soap tickled his nose, and he smiled when Cassidy’s bedroom door opened. Jake inhaled in appreciation. Her sun-blushed face glowed and glistened, a perfect picture for the frame of damp locks that cascaded around her shoulders.
He pointed to the chair beside him. “Join me.” She walked over, but her eyes were apprehensive. “Get enough sleep?” he said in an attempt to ease her sudden hesitancy and shyness. Chemistry and attraction threatened his impartiality. He knew control over his desire to flirt with her must strengthen because without her trust, he’d never gain the information his assignment demanded.
“Yes, thanks. What’s all this?” she asked as she settled in the chair next to him.
He pushed over the carafe of coffee resting next to his elbow and slipped the cards marked Niger Delta and New World Petroleum into the palm of his hand and out of sight. “Our mysteries.” Cassidy snatched at the silver-plated pot like it was a million dollars. Scanning the table, she gave up on finding her own mug and took his. He watched her, enjoying the graceful movement of her hands.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled the aroma. After several sips, Cassidy turned her attention to the cards on the table. Narrowing her eyes at one of the cards, she picked it up. “I’m not a mystery.”
Jake shuffled the stack, placing Ethan Connor’s name first, then the card marked Murder, then slipped hers from her fingers and stuck it beneath.
Her brows rose almost to the tip of her hairline, and she placed the coffee cup back on the table with a thump. “You don’t think Ethan had anything to do with the murder?”
“I don’t know. He appeared at the crime scene only twenty minutes after me.” Jake tapped the card, furrowing his brow. “There’s something about him that bothers me.”
“And?”
“His ranch is more than an hour away. I checked.”
Cassidy leaned forward and touched his arm. “Jake, Ethan has family all across Jackson Hole. He could’ve been in any number of places. Don’t look for reasons; look for evidence.”
He stared at her face. Ignoring the physical attraction, he shrugged. “His attitude toward you is evidence.”
“No.” She shook her head. “His attitude toward me is unprofessional. It doesn’t label him a murderer.” She picked up Ethan’s card and ripped it in half. “What else have you got?”
“Not a damn thing. A lot of uncomfortable vibes, but other than that, nada.”
Cassidy reached beneath the table and snagged the hidden index cards from under his thigh, flipping them at him. “Explain these.” Her face was expressionless except for the flicker of anger lighting her eyes and staining her cheeks red.
Damn.
New World Petroleum. The black ink that scrawled those words on a three-by-five index card burned her eyes. Cassidy’s heart pounded and she inhaled, attempting to calm the irrational emotion provoked by Jake’s knowledge of an organization she detested.
Jake’s frown when he picked up the cards she’d tossed did nothing to mar the attraction of his face.
Damn the man. The small amount of trust she’d felt for him vanished.
“I’m waiting.” Cassidy tapped her fingers against the polished wood of the conference table. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Your last assignment turned dangerous.”
“My last assignment has absolutely nothing to do with this one or with you for that matter. And I’d appreciate it if you quit delving into my background.” Cassidy was pissed. Who the hell did he think he was?
Jake grinned. The spark of amusement in his eyes caused the hair on the back of her neck to rise. “Whatever,” he said, picking up the cards and ripping them in half.
Cassidy narrowed her eyes, not believing in his easy retreat. She’d play his game for now. “Fine. Let’s move forward. Where were you while I slept?”
His teeth flashed, and he smiled like he’d won some kind of bet. It irritated her. “I went to headquarters to see if they had any reports on this morning’s little surprise.”
“What did you learn from Ethan?”
“Chief Connor didn’t make it back while I was there. But I had an opportunity to talk with the coroner.”
She leaned forward, resting her elbows upon the table. “And?”
“There was some sort of rash on the woman’s face and chest. And …” Jake paused and gazed into her face. “You sure you want to hear this?”
Typical male. Cassidy rolled her eyes and pasted a sweet smile on her face. “I’m not squeamish. Spill it.”
He sighed. “Okay. There was profuse internal bleeding that spilled pretty much out of every orifice and onto the ground. In addition, she was severely dehydrated.”
Cassidy frowned. “Any results from the lab on body fluids?”
Jake shrugged. “Nah. Too soon for that. But they promised to fax it as soon as they have them.”
“Wow. I’m impressed at the level of cooperation you received.”
He winked. “I’ve just got it like that.”
She wagged a finger under his nose. “Ah-ha. The coroner was a female, wasn’t she?” Cassidy sat back and crossed her arms. “You little player,” she accused, half amused and half she-didn’t-know-what. Jealous? No way.
Jake leaned forward, and for a panicked moment Cassidy thought he was about to embrace her. Instead, he grabbed a file. By the wicked grin tugging at his lips, she knew he’d caught her reaction.
“Don’t worry Sunshine, you’re the only one on my mind.”
She caught the fish disease, as her mother used to call it, and Cassidy found herself opening and closing her mouth like one of the cutthroat trout that inhabited Yellowstone Lake. Her insides were fluttering and jumping around in an annoying mix of excitement and nerves.
“This is the latest data from the GPS system,” he said, handing her the file he’d retrieved.
With something to focus her attention on, she ignored his full-fledged smile and the glint lighting his eyes. She stared at the graph, scanning the page. “It doesn’t show the pack I saw at Post 29.”
“Interesting, don’t you think?”
She nodded. “Is it possible there’s an entire pack roaming around without any tracking devices attached?”
Jake shrugged. “I don’t know; that’s your department.” He pushed back from the table. “Let’s get outta here.”
Cassidy glanced at him as he rose and strode to the door. “Where to?” she asked, even though she was already moving to follow him.
“A walk.”
“Didn’t you have enough outdoorsy stuff this morning?”
“Don’t you want to se
e the geyser?”
She exited the presidential suite; a ripple of excitement skimmed her stomach. Hell yes, she wanted to see the new geyser. “That’s not a walk. We have to drive.”
He smiled and took off at a brisk pace. “We have to walk to the Jeep.”
“I really should stay and scour through these reports.”
“You’re too tired to read.”
“I am not tired,” she said, biting her lip to stifle the yawn that threatened to call her a liar.
Jake escorted her to the vehicle. “Reports can be read later.”
Cassidy jumped into the passenger side, snapped down the visor, and scrutinized her face. Yep. Her messy hair still damp from the shower and dark circles lining the bottom of her eyes were a definite giveaway. She was tired. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your little indiscretion.”
Jake eyed her for a second, then switched his attention back to the road. “And what would that be?”
“Those totally inappropriate note cards.”
Jake stared at her for a minute then shook his head. “Drop it. It was a mistake. I’m sorry if I intruded where I shouldn’t have.”
Another smooth retreat. “Right.” She didn’t bother to disguise the sarcasm in her tone.
He glared at her. “Take the apology and move beyond this, okay?”
Like hell. “Sure.”
The car swayed gently to the left, and she wondered where his line of thought was going. “How about we cut to the chase and you explain, in detail, why you wrote those cards?”
“Give it up, Sunshine. I’ve already told you I looked into your background, and I’ve apologized for that. Let’s leave this bone unpicked, okay?”
Cassidy sighed, not liking the distant tone of his voice. He switched personalities faster than a superhero. “You know, I wouldn’t be this persistent if that assignment didn’t still bother me. I have one of those”—she waved her hand in the air—“premonition thingies.”
That seemed to spark his interest. “Define that.”
“There’re so many inconsistencies from that assignment.” She furrowed her brow, then decided her brain hurt. “I’m probably just tired and overreacting.” Cassidy refused to glance in Jake’s direction. Let him think she was looney; who cares?
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