by D. K. Hood
“You’re lucky we’ve seen the real person. I only ever communicated with a professional, machine-like, emotionless soldier for a very long time.” Wolfe lowered his voice. “When he decided to retire, his clearance was so high, as was his integrity, POTUS didn’t want to lose him. He went through so many psych tests to see if he was sane, I’m surprised he came out the other side. It took him a long time to come down and even relax. I was retained as his handler even when he worked at the White House. He never lost his cool even when Annie died. He remained remote. I’ve only seen him crack twice, and the first time was when he thought you’d died, the second when we discovered who’d killed Annie, and yet you held him together. I wouldn’t have been able to control him if that lunatic had killed you; he’d have been off the grid and out for blood and yet you kept him on track and calm.” He squeezed her arm. “It’s taking time but you’re thawing the ice-man, however, he’ll always be there lurking in the background. Years of living without emotion and killing on command takes a toll on a person.”
Jenna pushed both hands through her hair. “I understand him better than you realize. That’s why I try to keep things normal around him. I joke about his combat face and make sure he knows I like him, ice-man or Dave.” She looked at him. “You have to admit, he’s more relaxed now than ever before.”
“He is.” Wolfe turned as voices came down the hallway. “That’s good. Emily and Webber have finished collecting samples.” He turned back. “A crew will be here soon to secure the ranch. First, they’ll arrive by chopper. They’ll do a walk-through and see what needs to be done, and then expect trucks and a mess of people running around. I’ve stuck an ‘off limits’ notice on your bedroom door and locked it.” He handed her a key. “Nothing was touched in there, but I secured it for your own peace of mind. You don’t need to worry about people going through your belongings. If you have anything you need to keep private, you have time to remove it. I can help.”
Jenna shook her head. “They won’t be getting into my room, and the safe is in there. It will be fine.” She rubbed her temples. “Will I have to supervise?”
“Nope.” Wolfe led her toward the front door. “Leave them to do their job. They’ll have the perimeter secured today and they’ll be camping on the ranch, but it should be finished in a few days.”
Astonished, Jenna stared at him. “How am I going to feed all of them?”
“They’ll have a mess tent set up. Don’t worry.” Wolfe chuckled. “Stay in Kane’s cottage until they leave. I’ll have your new phones waiting for you by the morning.”
“New phones?” Jenna frowned. “But I can access all my office files from my phone. It’s indispensable.”
“Trust me.” Wolfe smiled. “Everything will be fine.” He turned to his daughter. “Jenna is dead on her feet. Walk her back to Kane’s cottage and make sure she rests.”
Jenna shook her head. “Later. I need to speak to Rowley and Rio about running the office for a couple of days.”
“They’re not going anywhere for a few hours.” Wolfe guided her to the door. “They’re out making casts of tire tracks and footprints at the moment.”
“Okay.” Jenna turned to Emily. “You don’t need to escort me, I’ll go and rest, I promise.”
“Sure, you will.” Emily took her arm and led her toward the cottage. “Did you see Ty today all dressed up? He scrubs up well, don’t you think?”
Jenna gaped at her. “You don’t have a crush on him, do you?”
“Well… he is nice, and I am twenty-one next month.” Emily looked suddenly serious. “I’ve worked hard and avoided relationships, but when I pass my finals, I’ll be spending the entire year in residency working with Dad. It takes years more study before I can apply for board certification, but I think I’ll have time to live a little.”
“But Ty Carter?” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “He’s sexist and a player. You’re just attracted to his bad boy image. It will wear off in time.” She wanted to change the subject fast. “So, did you find any evidence to point to who is trying to kill me?”
“Not a shred.” Emily shrugged. “Don’t worry, Dad will find something. He always does.” She followed Jenna into Kane’s cottage and sniffed. “I’m going to help myself to a cup of Dave’s famous coffee. She pointed to the hallway. “Go and rest. Turn off your phone. I’ll stay right here until Dave gets back.”
“Okay, okay.” Suddenly exhausted, Jenna yawned and gave her a wave and then headed for Kane’s spare room. She kicked off her boots, flopped on the bed, and snuggled under the blankets. The troubles of the night drifted into insignificance as sleep claimed her.
Twelve
Kane dropped by the office to explain the break in at Jenna’s ranch to the receptionist, Magnolia Brewster, known as Maggie to everyone around. Nothing had come in about missing persons, and he gave Maggie the task of contacting the hospital and local doctors to find out if anyone had sought medical attention for a missing ear. Hoping Jenna would be resting, he took the opportunity to shower and change into his uniform. Well, if you could call black jeans, and T-shirt plus his sheriff’s department jacket, a uniform. He kept several sets of clothes and boots in the locker room, often not having time to drive back to the ranch to change. He collected his belt and holster from the gun locker and strapped it on as he walked into Jenna’s new office. He wore his weapon low on his thigh, to allow him freedom of movement and the fast draw of a gunslinger. Over the weekend of the conference, he’d opted for a shoulder holster. He never went anywhere unarmed, and hadn’t for many years.
The fragrance of the honeysuckle shampoo Jenna used still lingered in the room. He’d caught the same scent in the hallway outside his room the previous night and had walked from one end of the hotel to the other looking for her. He’d wanted to call her but it was late and for a man who could fall asleep standing up if necessary, he’d lain awake a long time. If he’d been a superstitious man, he’d have believed she’d been trying to send him a message. He laughed. A few years in Black Rock Falls and the spookiness of Halloween was creeping into his life. Pushing away fanciful notions, he sat at Jenna’s desk and opened her computer to search for reported missing persons across the local counties. He scanned the page as the reports came in and sent them to the printer. As an afterthought, he scanned the list of the convicted killers they’d sent to county. All were locked up and accounted for. He rubbed his chin as concern for Jenna’s safety crawled over him like a swarm of ants. Whoever broke into Jenna’s ranch knew too much about her. He must be someone very close to know such intimate details of her private life. She hadn’t advertised the fact she’d be alone over the weekend. Nobody knew unless…
He pulled out his phone and called Bobby Kalo at the FBI field office at Snakeskin Gully. The young man had been recruited after an arrest as a black hat hacker. The kid was a genius with anything to do with IT. Kalo didn’t have a dishonest bone in his body but playing with fire and hacking top-secret government databases for fun had almost landed him in federal prison for life. “Hey, Bobby, Dave Kane here.”
“I’ll have the new phones to you first thing in the morning, Wolfe can update the security protocol once the new system at the ranch is installed.” Kalo tapped away at his computer and Kane could hear music in the background.
He’s playing games. “I didn’t call about the phones but I’ll pass on the message.” Kane cleared his throat. “So, you know about the attack on Jenna?”
“Yeah, anything else I can do?” Kalo sounded genuinely concerned.
Kane leaned back in the office chair. “Yeah, check out the conference we attended over the weekend. I noticed reporters there. Jo was of interest to them and did a number of interviews. I’m wondering if anything showed in the media about me being there?”
“Looking for five minutes of fame, huh?” Kalo barked a laugh. “I’ll look. Anything else?”
Shaking his head, Kane rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Nope. Trust me, that’s the last thing I
want, but if I was mentioned then someone would know Jenna was alone over the weekend. Anyone who knows Jenna wouldn’t risk attacking the ranch with both of us there. In fact, I’m surprised anyone tried taking on Jenna with a crossbow. She is quite capable of defending her home, but having me out of the way as well made his odds better.”
“Okay, let me see.” Kalo hummed a tune as he searched. “Ah-huh, yeah, you’re here in a photograph with Jo. Nice suit. Italian? You’re doing okay for a deputy.”
Kane rubbed between his eyebrows and sighed. “Did they name me?”
“Sure did…. Special Agent Jo Wells and her companion Deputy Sheriff David Kane from Black Rock Falls.” Kalo tapped on his keyboard. “The story went out on the wire. It would have made the local newspapers just about everywhere. The convention was a big deal for this state.”
“Okay, thanks.” Kane thought for a beat. “We’re hunting down a woman with a missing ear. Well, we’re assuming it’s a woman. Can you keep a watch on any missing persons or people seeking medical attention at hospitals with an ear injury?”
“You mean hack into hospital files over what time frame?” Kalo didn’t seem at all fazed by the request.
Kane wrinkled his nose recalling the fresh meat smell of the ear. “From Thursday. We found the ear this morning but the perp could have kept it refrigerated for all I know. Wolfe will be able to tell us more later.”
“Okay.” Kalo sounded serious and the background music had stopped. “Leave it with me. If I come across anything, I’ll contact you.”
“Thanks.” Kane disconnected and stood. He collected the printouts and slid them into a folder and then headed for the door.
He paused at the counter and waited for Maggie to finish speaking to one of the townsfolk. He gave the man a nod and turned to her. “Rowley and Rio will be back soon. Jenna will be working from home today at least. I’m heading back to the ranch now.”
Before Kane reached the front door Atohi Blackhawk arrived looking agitated. He nodded to Maggie and grabbed Kane’s arm. “We have to talk.”
Kane stared at the hand on his arm and then back to Blackhawk’s expression of deep concern. He was a close friend and although not officially on the team, the Native American tracker had given his time freely to assist them and was a good friend. “Sure, come into Jenna’s office.”
“No, outside.” Blackhawk practically dragged him to the door.
“Now just wait up a second.” Kane dug in his heels. “What’s so darn important? You’re acting crazy.”
“You’ll see soon enough.” Blackhawk dropped his hand. “In my truck. I went to see Shane but the ME’s office is closed. I called Jenna and got the answering machine, so I came here.” He walked up to his pickup and pulled back the canvas cover. “Take a look. I figure it’s human. One of the dogs brought it into the res. I bagged it and put it on ice.” He pulled a cooler toward him and lifted the lid.
Kane leaned into the tray of the pickup and examined the fleshy bone with numerous teeth marks. The end had been crushed, but what resembled a part of a tattoo remained on the flesh. “Yeah, it sure looks like part of the lower leg.” He turned to Blackhawk. “Bear attack?”
“There’s not been a grizzly attack in years in these parts. This looks more like a black bear came across a body and chewed it up some.” Blackhawk looked at him. “Has anyone gone missing?”
Kane shook his head. “Not that we know of yet, no, but perhaps this person hasn’t been missed yet.” He leaned in closer to the body part and sniffed. “Can you smell gas?”
“Yeah.” Blackhawk dragged the cover back over the tray. “It was all over the limb. The dog’s mouth was blistered from it and we had to wash it out. I haven’t tracked this back to the source. I figured you’d want to be involved. The bears are feasting before hibernation, but they won’t eat anything tainted with oil or gasoline.” He frowned. “This is man’s doing. Bears don’t carry gas around with them. Whoever killed this person didn’t want the wildlife spreading it around. I’ve seen this before. Do you recall the last time something like this happened?”
Vivid memories of finding bodies soaked in gas pinned to trees with a crossbow bolt rammed into Kane’s mind like a cannonball. The nightmare that followed a gunshot to the head had been harrowing. The man responsible was locked up, but the attack on Jenna, the ear attached to the house with a crossbow bolt, and now a dismembered body part soaked in gas. The scenario was getting way too familiar. Concern gripped him. He composed his features and turned to Blackhawk. “Wolfe is out at Jenna’s ranch. Someone trashed the house last night when I was away. She was alone too.”
“Is Jenna okay?” Blackhawk’s face filled with concern. “Why didn’t she call someone?”
“She’s fine.” Kane straightened. “She couldn’t call anyone. Her phone was out, and so was the power. I didn’t find out until this morning when Rowley dropped by to check on her.” He indicated with his chin toward Main. “Why don’t you head out to the ranch and hand the remains over to Wolfe. He’ll decide what to do once he confirms it’s human. If he does, I figure I’ll start at the res and follow Duke on horseback.”
“It’s human. No animal I know has a tattoo on their leg. You take the remains to Wolfe, and I’ll arrange for horses from the res to save time.” Blackhawk stared into space for a beat. “Four and a packhorse should be enough for your team. I’ll come along too. I wouldn’t want you getting lost up there. The forest is very dense, and there are many glacial ravines around Bear Peak.”
Kane slapped him on the back. “Great, thanks. I’ll grab the supplies.”
“This is bad business.” Blackhawk’s face held an expression of sorrow. “Too many use our forest for murder and the spirits will not rest easy until you find this menace.” He handed the remains to Kane, climbed into his truck, and, shaking his head, drove away.
Unsettled, Kane stared after him. He had great respect for the beliefs of Blackhawk’s people, and as he turned and stared at the pines marching up the side of the mountain to disappear into the morning mist, a great sadness fell over him. He considered the forest, mountains, and falls an incredible gift that too many people abused. Just absorbing the beauty of them had kept him going, especially in the beginning. After losing his wife, he’d left behind his time in the White House protecting POTUS and his years as a sniper to arrive in Black Rock Falls to start a life created in fiction, with a new face and name. He carried a ton of hurt and anger, but this town had soothed his soul. The forest and mountains seemed to know he needed solitude, and then he’d met Jenna. A sheriff new to the job, a little unorganized at first and fiercely independent. He’d picked her as a special agent from the get-go and believed her to be a plant. Jenna, on the other hand, was convinced he’d been sent by the cartel to take her out. It had been an interesting few months but he wouldn’t change anything about his job as deputy sheriff or working with the people who’d become his surrogate family.
He made his way back inside the office and gave Maggie an update. She bustled around making coffee and filling Thermos flasks. It was cold in the mountains and anything could happen. Kane made a quick call to Aunt Betty’s Café for supplies and then pulled out the saddlebags. He packed everything they’d need and hauled them out to his truck. Ten minutes later, he’d made his way through the bouncing plastic pumpkins strung up along Main and sidestepped the grinning skeletons and ghosts adorning the storefronts to get back to his truck. The townsfolk were going all out this year and were out in droves repairing and decorating the town after the storm.
He drove slowly through town and turned onto the highway heading for the ranch. Lights flashing, he accelerated, enjoying the roar of the engine and the wind blowing in his face. The smells and sights of late fall surrounded him on his journey in peaceful normality, but as he turned into the ranch the hairs on the back of his neck bristled with a primal instinct that warned him someone was watching. He slowed and reversed back to the gate and then moved forward slowly, scanning
the trees. Many criminals returned to a crime scene, but this one would have to be pretty dumb to hang around with the entire team on the premises… but then there was no reason to a psychopath’s mindset and if someone was killing people in the forest and nailing ears to Jenna’s house, anything was possible.
Thirteen
He’d decided he liked the name: Jerry Bolt, and he could almost see himself signing his name in blood on the face of Patti Howard. He lifted his fingers to his lips and licked across them, almost tasting the metallic tang of blood. The anticipation was rebellious now, screaming at him to forget the sheriff and concentrate on Patti. He chuckled. Patti’s name would become redundant the moment he issued the order to run. He had such plans for her, but soon she would just be another part of his collection. What would he keep of hers? He liked a small remembrance, a token of their time together. He couldn’t explain why the names faded as the light went from their eyes, but the moment he touched their belongings it brought back the intense rush of the moment they’d died. It was not like any other memory. He could see himself as if he watched from outside his body. It was like an exciting movie. It made his heart race, and knowing it was him taking their lives made it surreal, like an incredible dream. The scent and feel gave him a rush of sensation so intense it took his breath away, but then the craving started again. It became so powerful he couldn’t function. The planning helped some, it occupied his mind, but doing was so much better than thinking, and right now he needed to move to the next hunt.
He took one more look at the ranch and then dropped the binoculars. He’d seen enough of the sheriff’s team to recognize them all on sight. The last one to arrive in the black truck had almost blown his cover. That one was astute, and he’d need to be more careful dealing with him. He shimmied backward down the hill overlooking the ranch, and once out of view headed back to his truck. The old road was still carved out of the land as he remembered. The barbed wire that once divided the prime cattle grazing had been left to rust. One thing for sure, the sheriff wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. He’d learned everything about her and she was as smart as a whip. The night’s effort would keep her busy for a day or so and give him time to enjoy himself in the forest. He ambled to his pickup and pulled off the cover and stowed it in the back, and then climbed behind the wheel. He’d hidden his white truck under a camouflage tarpaulin just in case the chopper he’d seen leaving decided to return. He’d used the cover many a time to avoid detection, and it was worth its weight in gold.