by T. K. Lukas
“I say we walk a little faster,” he urged, his long strides clearing ground.
“I say we run. Ruth is leaving—I see her waving out of the window as she’s pulling away. Markus is carrying something inside.”
They took off at a fast clip, but the gravel slope made running a difficult proposition. Trevor held onto Gunner’s harness for balance. He felt his tension easing the nearer they got to the lodge. As the slope flattened out and the gravel gave way to firmer footing, he let go of the harness, his short, halting gait gliding into a free-flowing sprint.
*****
Huddled underneath the low branches of a cedar, Anton pressed a pair of binoculars to his eyes. He heard voices in the distance—both male and female. Now, it would be only a matter of patient surveillance before he located his kill. Scanning the pathway winding below his rocky perch, he paused when his binoculars settled on the redheaded woman running alongside the tall, blond male with the prosthetic leg, accompanied by two hounds.
“Targets confirmed,” he said to himself, smiling briefly before realizing the pair was acting as if they’d grown suspicious. They were looking in his direction and backing away, the big black dog he’d just seen with them now nowhere in sight.
A commotion coming from behind drew his attention away from his targets. He lowered the binoculars and stomped over to where Juan and Fredo were in an animated discussion about the headless deer carcass they’d stumbled upon.
“How many times do I have to tell you to keep your goddamned voices down,” he growled. “I think they’ve heard us.”
“You saw them?” Fredo stepped closer and reached for the binoculars while Juan stood over the grotesque, maggot riddled carcass, seemingly mesmerized at the sight.
“I said keep quiet.” Anton held the glasses firmly in his grasp, leveling a cold stare on his associate. In a lowered voice, he said, “I’ve confirmed the targets. Let’s get the fuck out of here before that dog sniffs out our location, thanks to you two mouthy idiots.”
Anton stomped off toward where he’d parked the rental car just on the other side of the perimeter fence line. For once, he felt grateful for this tiny car that fit through the narrow passages of the rutted cattle trail. He would come up with a “Plan B” for dealing with the targets once he checked in with the Boss to let him know they’d been located. First, he had to make sure he wasn’t being followed, or being tracked by that big, black beast of a dog. Looking over his shoulder, his finger rested on the trigger of his AK-47.
*****
Markus stood on the stoop leading into the kitchen, a pumpkin pie in each hand. Out of the corner of his eye, his attention was drawn to movement in the near distance. Pushing the door open with his foot, he placed the pies on the counter and then stepped back out onto the porch.
There’s Trevor, Gunner and Sidney. But where the hell is Rex?
He hurried down the steps and met them at the end of the driveway. “Where’s Rex? Everything okay?”
“About three-quarters of the way along the trail, I heard voices. We tried to call him back, but Rex took off.” Sidney placed her hand on Markus’s arm. “I’m sorry. Both Trevor and I tried to get him to come with us, but—”
“It’s not your fault. I’m the one who insisted you take him along. I thought he’d obey you. Where exactly on the trail were the voices coming from?”
“From the direction of the south fence line, near where the creek drops down into the ravine.”
“I thought it’d be best to come get you and we’d take the Jeep to look for him,” said Trevor.
“That back fence line is a hot-spot for poachers. Maybe that’s who the voices were. But, maybe not.” Markus shoved his hands in his pockets and stared off into the distance for a short moment. “Trevor, I want you to take Sidney inside. You know the combo to activate the security alarm. I’ll drive the jeep up there and see what I can see. Maybe I’ll find a lost dog in the process.”
“Don’t you want me to go with you?” asked Trevor.
“I don’t want Sid going, and I don’t want her left here alone, either.” Markus hurried into the kitchen to retrieve the keys to his Jeep.
Sidney stepped through the door behind him. “I’d feel much better if Trevor went with you. I’ll be fine here behind locked doors.”
“And I’d feel better if Trevor, who knows how to shoot to kill, stayed with you.”
“I have my Taser with me.”
“I’m glad. That’s a step in the right direction.” He reached for her hand and pulled her close. “Soon, I’ll teach you to shoot to kill.”
“Hmm—I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Please, be safe out there.” Sidney squeezed his hand before pulling away. “Please.”
From the porch, Trevor called out, “You can put your keys back. The prodigal dog returneth.”
Markus and Sidney ran outside to see Rex trotting up the driveway, his tail waving from side to side. Briars tangled his coat, and his tongue lolled out of his panting mouth. His sides heaved with the effort of breathing.
“Here, Rex.” Kneeling down, Markus plucked the thorny briars from his ruff. “Whoever, or whatever you chased, I hope it was worth it because it’s back to boot camp for you, buddy.”
Rex sat, leaning his weight against Sidney’s leg. He looked at Markus and cocked his head in a comical manner as if apologizing, eliciting laughter all around.
“All right, you’re forgiven.” Markus scratched the dog’s head. “But don’t think I’m letting you off the hook. Boot camp begins now.”
“Doggie boot camp?” asked Sidney, stroking Rex’s back and ears. “Sounds hardcore.”
“Not really. He just needs a refresher course in manners.”
“Well, I hope he’s not in boot camp very long. I enjoyed running with him, before he took off, that is.”
“I’m still making a sweep of the upper fence line. I need to see if there are signs of poachers, or, something else. When I get back, we’ll have a couple of hours before everyone arrives for our little Thanksgiving feast. If you want, I can show you how to give Rex commands he’ll respect. At some point, he’ll be able to go running with you again.”
“Sounds good. I don’t want to worry about your dog running off on my watch.”
Markus watched Rex leaning against Sidney, and he remembered that first encounter with her, when Rex jumped out of the woods, frightening her. Then, as now, he suspected his dog had chosen someone else to attach his affections to.
Can’t say I blame you, boy.
CHAPTER 23
Alpine
The lodge filled with the sumptuous smells of Thanksgiving, the variety of aromas blending into a singular aroma that smelled of holidays past, of home. Animated chatter and laughter rose and fell as each person arrived, greeting the others.
Sidney stood in front of her bathroom mirror, adjusting her wig. She heard Markus and Trevor’s voices. Recognized Ruth’s, Victor’s, and Aubrey’s. The female voice she didn’t recognize must belong to Ruth’s friend, Bonnie. Soon, she heard the familiar voices of Otto, Heidi, and Dieter as they arrived, bringing in other marvelous aromas with the food they’d brought.
Why am I nervous?
She smoothed her hands down the front of her dress and rechecked her makeup, thinking she should put on more lipstick before wiping it off and applying a sheer coat of lip balm. Making a closer inspection, she spied a stray red hair and tucked it back into place under the wig.
“It’s Victor, isn’t it?” she asked herself in the mirror. “You’re worried about how to handle Victor. Well, don’t be. It’s he who should be worried when he recognizes you.” Turning away from the mirror, she made her way down the hallway and down the stairs, putting on her bravest smile, shoulders back, chin high.
“I was just coming up to check on you.” Markus stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Sidney to descend. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. You clean up pretty well, too.”
“Yo
u seem deep in thought. What’s on your mind?”
“I was thinking about how incongruous it is feeling relieved that you only saw signs of poachers earlier and not someone, or something else. Only poachers.”
“That’s not to say the voices you heard were definitely the poachers, but a headless deer carcass is a sure sign someone up there wasn’t hunting for meat, they were hunting for the sole purpose of a trophy mount.”
“That makes me sick. What a waste.”
“The game warden has his hands full. He said mine was the second call today. Well, everyone’s in the den. Are you ready?” He took her by the hand, leading her toward the noisy crowd.
“Yes, and they seem to be enjoying themselves. What a good idea this is. Thank you again for today.”
Markus raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it. His intense stare held on to her. “It’s my pleasure.”
As they entered the room, Markus called for everyone’s attention. “I think you’ve all met Sidney, except for Bonnie. Bonnie, this is Sidney.”
Sidney extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Bonnie. Markus said some flattering things about you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Bonnie shook her hand, studying her face. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”
“No. I’ve only been in town about a week.”
At that moment, Victor, who was sitting in a recliner and facing the fireplace, spun his chair around. The water he’d just taken a sip of came spewing out his mouth. “Holy shit—I mean—sorry—uh—nice to meet, I mean, nice to see you again. Ma’am.”
Sidney laughed at the sight of Victor blushing, water dribbling down his chin. “It’s nice to see you again, too.”
“Y’all have met?” asked Ruth, walking over to give Sidney a hug.
“Briefly. He was part of a group of rodeo team members who gave me a raucous welcome my first day in Alpine. Victor impressed me by showing me his enormous championship belt buckle.” Sidney offered him an innocent smile.
Blushing a deeper shade of crimson, Victor squirmed in his chair. “Is anybody besides me ready to eat some turkey? I’m starved. Hospital food sucks.”
“I think that’s as good as a dinner bell. Let’s eat.” Markus escorted Ruth and Bonnie to the dining hall, and the rest of the group followed.
Victor took Sidney by the arm and pulled her aside. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry about that first day. I don’t know why I did that. It was stupid, and I shouldn’t have embarrassed you like I did.”
“I think you’re more embarrassed now than I was then.”
“I’m—most definitely embarrassed,” Victor nodded, looking contrite. “Thanks for what you did by not saying anything. My grandmother would have freaked out.”
“And rightly so. But, apology accepted. It’s forgotten. Now, would you like to escort me to the table?”
“Yes ma’am, I would.” Victor offered her his right arm. His left, encased in a wrist-to-shoulder plaster cast, was carried in a sling tied around his neck.
*****
After the meal, Heidi, Aubrey, and Sidney cleared the table while Ruth and Bonnie served the pumpkin pie. Markus poured brandies and served coffee. The conversation ran the gamut from how to make the perfect piecrust to what constitutes a memorable Christmas parade.
“Sidney, to give you a little background, Alpine prides itself on its Holiday of Lights parade. The first Friday in December, you’ll see the whole town turn out, vying for the best parade float,” Bonnie said before forking a bite full of pie loaded with whipped cream into her mouth.
“What was the best float last year?” Trevor sipped his brandy and picked at the crumbs on his pie plate.
“Ah, last year,” said Otto, his eyes twinkling. “Last year a few restaurants got together and made a float depicting a dining table full of food, with mannequins sitting in the chairs. It would have won the grand prize had the wind not blown the mannequins over. They all looked drunk, some face down in their plates. That was my favorite.”
“Mine was the homecoming queen’s car.” Victor laughed at the memory, ignoring his grandmother’s stern look.
“So, tell us,” said Dieter, already on his second piece of pie. “The homecoming queen’s car, why was it such a favorite of yours?”
“It was a favorite of everyone’s except maybe the queen and her parents.” Victor blew on his steaming cup of coffee. “The queen rides at the head of the parade in a brand-new convertible. Sitting on the back, waving to the crowd, wearing a red Christmas crown of poinsettias. At the last minute, someone, and I’m not telling who, placed a big sign on the back of the queen’s convertible. The sign read, ‘One whores open sleigh.’”
“Victor,” Ruth frowned at him. “Whoever did that should’ve been reprimanded. What a horrible thing to say about a young lady.”
“It was truth in advertising, Grandmother, and everyone knew it. Right Aubrey?”
“Everyone but her parents, who were horrified,” Aubrey confirmed. “But even so, it wasn’t funny. I felt sorry for her.”
“I feel sorry for her and I don’t even know this queen of the parade,” said Heidi as she wiped a crumb of crust from Dieter’s chin.
“Not to change the subject,” said Markus, “but what are your plans, Victor, now that you’re on the injured list and can’t rodeo for a while?”
Victor leaned back in his chair and shared a private look with Ruth, locking eyes for a long moment. “Well, sir, I’m glad you asked. Grandmother and I have been talking about it, with Aubrey, too. I’ve decided to hang up my bull rope. I’m not rodeoing anymore. I can’t afford to end up like my dad.”
“I’m sure that was a tough decision,” said Markus.
“Yes sir. It was. I love riding bulls, but there’re other things I love more, like my grandmother, and this girl sitting next to me. After we graduate the end of next semester, we’re getting married.”
Aubrey held up her left hand, showing off the diamond engagement ring on her finger. “It belonged to Ruth. She’s giving us her wedding set.”
“How wonderful. Congratulations, both of you.” Markus raised his glass in a toast, and everyone around the table joined in. “Best wishes for a happy future.”
“Thank you.” Victor raised his coffee cup, clinking it with the other raised cups and glasses. “And speaking about the future, I wanted to talk to you about your barn manager’s position. It’s been vacant for a while. Are you looking to fill it?”
“I am. When can you start?”
“Tomorrow.”
“You’re hired. But make it next Monday. A little recuperation under your grandmother’s care will do you good.” Markus winked at Ruth who gave him a relieved, grateful smile.
Without warning, Bonnie snapped her fingers, startling everyone. “I know why I thought we’d met before,” she said, turning to Sidney. “There was a man at the FBO last night looking for a woman he claimed was his friend. He showed me a photo of her. Y’all look alike, except she had red hair.”
Sidney gasped, then immediately realized she shouldn’t reveal her alarm. She covered by finishing the gasp with a small cough. “Excuse me.” She patted her mouth with her napkin. “A man looking for a woman at the airport and showing her photo around? That’s rather odd.” She glanced at Markus and then at Trevor, who both seemed as stunned as she was.
Bonnie nodded in agreement. “I thought so. Besides the one showing the photo, there were two others. They flew in on one of those expensive Citation X jets.”
“Have they flown in before? Anybody you recognized?” asked Markus. His smile and casual voice contradicted the hardening expression in his eyes and the tightening of his jaw.
“I’ve never seen them around before. And strangely enough, he also asked about a Beech Baron that landed on my shift.” Bonnie cast a glance at Trevor and his dog lying beside his chair. “It wasn’t any of their business, so I didn’t tell them anything I saw.”
“I’m sure it was just a coincidence,
them asking about the plane Trevor happened to fly in on. But thanks for mentioning it. Now, please pass some more of that delicious cranberry sauce.” Markus forced a thin smile.
Sidney sat back in her chair and sipped her brandy. She listened to the easy flow of conversation and watched the newly-engaged couple flirt and share coy smiles. This happy, everyday-life scene felt crazily out of place. Life went on about her in a normal, blissfully naïve way, while she, Markus, and Trevor knew evil waited beyond the gates of this ranch. Silently giving thanks, she felt grateful for this moment of quiet peace, however fleeting it might last.
*****
After the guests departed, the house was quiet. Trevor stretched out on his bed, thinking a nap was in order. Gunner lay on the foot of the bed, already asleep, paws twitching in a dream of chase or catching a ball.
Unable to turn off his mind, he reached for his cellphone, checking for an email from his mother. It was there, confirming she’d arrived safely in York, the twins surprised, yet delighted to see her.
A soft tapping at his door diverted his attention away from reading of his brothers’ soccer exploits. “Come in,” he said, setting the phone aside.
Sidney poked her head into the room. “Markus is through with what he needed to handle on the computer. He and I are taking a little jog to the barn to check on the horses. Mostly, to work off some calories from all that food we ate.” She rubbed her belly and puffed out her cheeks. “Want to join us?”
“Sure. I was thinking I’d nap, but my mind’s too busy. I’ll meet you downstairs in a minute.”
“Great.”
Trevor strapped on his prosthetic leg, followed by his shoulder holster. Out of habit, he checked the gun’s safety and made sure a round was chambered. After holstering his weapon, he grabbed Gunner’s harness, the dog now sitting expectantly at his feet.
“Sorry. No more chasing rabbits in your sleep. Let’s go.”
In the kitchen, Sidney leaned against the counter, Rex at her side. She looked up when Trevor entered the room. “Markus had an emergency call come in. He said for us to get a head start and he’d catch up with us in a minute.”
