“I broke the order up. I have a pretty good idea what will fit in this trailer. The rest of the system will come in next week.” In a different city. He'd run down the mountain and pick it up and anything else they'd forgotten.
“How many times has your truck and trailer made the run up the mountain?”
“Plenty. I've been working on the house for years.”
“You must know the Charlotte home improvement and lumber yards pretty well then.”
“No, not really. I ordered a lot of the equipment, cabinets, etcetera, online. I have people in a couple of different towns who I pay to accept deliveries, and they place the order in storage units. I get what I need when I need it.” None of it was in his name. He didn’t make numerous trips to the same location, so nobody took notice of him. Off the grid and out of mind was a necessity for his existence.
“You spent too much money on us.” She reached out her hand, and Ryan took it, driving with his left hand.
“You both needed clothes, and Ethan needed some stuff to entertain himself. The movies were on sale.”
“Still, I don't want us to become a burden.” She squeezed his hand as she spoke.
Ryan glanced at her. Her eyes were shut. His gaze lifted to the rearview mirror and he smiled. Ethan's eyes were closed, too. His head tipped back, and Ryan caught a small snore from the boy.
“You will never become a burden to me.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, smiling as he put her hand back down on the seat. She was asleep. He drew a deep breath and settled his view on the horizon, on guard for anything that could jeopardize the perfection he had in the cab of the truck. His family.
While the drive back to the mountain was uneventful, there were two or three cars that concerned him, but they turned off or passed him, and he eventually relaxed. At least until it started snowing. Big, wet flakes fluttered down from the heavens. Ryan rolled his shoulders. Based on the forecasts, he needed to get all the food, supplies, and equipment to the big cave tonight or it could be a week or more before he'd be able to reach the truck again.
He pulled into the covered parking area he'd built and woke Bethanie. “Hey, sleepyhead.”
She blinked and lifted her head, wincing a bit. “I slept all the way?”
“You were indeed exhausted.”
She turned and glanced back at Ethan. The boy's mouth was wide open, and he was snoring, giving an old fashion hand saw a run for the money.
“Is it snowing?”
“Yep. Winter was late this year. There's an old wives’ tale around here that winter isn't over until the Mother's Day snowstorm hits. We have another month to enjoy nature's folly. Let's take Ethan up to bed, and then I'll come back and unload.”
“What? No. We can help.”
“No need.”
“No, we need to pull our own weight. Ethan, honey. We're home.”
Home. Ryan turned to hide the grin that split his face. Indeed, they were home.
Dog sat at the trail's head. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as his ass danced on the frozen dirt, waiting for Ethan to get out of the truck.
Ryan pulled the largest cooler out of the back of the truck and waited for Bethanie and Ethan to grab a few bags. They worked for three hours, unloading, unpacking, and putting stuff away while Ryan made trip after trip to the cave. He used a dolly to bring up the heavy equipment. Come morning, any trail they had left would be obliterated by the snow already starting to accumulate.
He locked the truck after unhooking the trailer and putting a boot on the trailer wheels. Other than Shadows, he'd never seen anyone up on the mountain, but he wasn't going to leave his property ready and available for someone who just happened to come along. His truck was locked and alarmed, and he took the long way to the cavern. He stopped and lifted onto the top of a boulder. He heard Dog padding behind him and moved over when the animal's claws scrambled up the large rock. The beast settled next to him.
He reached out and patted the thick, wet fur at the dog's haunches. “Who'd have thought it, boy? We have a family.”
The animal lay down beside him, his head on his paws. His ears helicoptered as he listened to the night noises. Ryan eased back on his gloved palms and stretched his legs out in front of him. The cold seeped through his clothes, but he didn't feel like moving. Right now he, like Dog, watched for threats. The precious contents of the cavern were a responsibility he readily shouldered. The weight of that obligation wasn't a millstone. In fact, the heft of this new responsibility blanketed him in ultimate purpose. He was more than his upbringing, more than his past. He'd tenured his resignation and walked away from an abyss of evil. The ease of that decision shocked him on many levels.
He’d always pictured his future as a solitary existence and a death without anyone knowing he'd left life's bindings. He didn't deserve the happiness that settled around him. He didn't deserve Bethanie or Ethan, but he was fucking going to claim them, and fuck anyone who dared come after them. An evil smile crossed his face. He had a reason to kill now. It wasn't a job any longer. This was personal. God help the bastards who hunted his family because Satan's fury was nothing compared to the obliteration he'd unleash on the motherfuckers.
Chapter 20
One answered the incoming video call, noting that Three was precisely on time, as she had been for the last nine weeks. She clicked on the video request and ensured her encryption was activated.
“We found her.”
One lifted a brow and waited.
“We have located the vehicle parked at a mall in Charlotte, North Carolina. We've acquired the security film of the parking lot. She was picked up. We have the plates of the truck. They trace back to an octogenarian from Boca Raton, Florida. We are working on accessing the traffic camera feeds for that day.”
“One of our best teams needs to be sent to the area.”
“Already done. If she's being hidden, she may have protection. I want no excuses for her escape. The ones who remained loyal to us from the remnants of the Colombia mission have been added.”
“Indeed. Two's replacement needs to ascend to her position.”
“I concur. Other than the update on the woman, we have movement in Venezuela. The factions are fighting, and they have not noticed us, or our agenda. The Candidate is there for humanitarian relief, and her efforts have been reported widely in Europe. The coverage has not made it to the US.”
“The woman needs to be put down before the Candidate's efforts are made public here.”
“We have confirmed all other merchandise the Candidate worked with in her tenure have been recycled. They are not an issue.”
“Then we proceed with all haste. Do you need me to pull my technology assets to encourage access to the information you require?”
“Can you pull your techs without jeopardizing any ongoing missions?”
“I have four who are laboring on the contents of the Russian hacker's hard drives. They can be spared for this.”
“The contents? I can't remember when you briefed you had full access to the information on that drive.” Three leaned forward and her fingers tapped on her keyboard as she frowned at the screen.
“I briefed it. I'll pull the tapes if you require.” One lifted an eyebrow. Three questioning her briefing was unsettling.
“Not necessary. I recall the meeting. I'll be thankful when Two arrives. The balance is off, wouldn't you agree?”
“Assuredly, the harmony has been disrupted. Another reason to double our efforts on the information contained on that hard drive.” One was glad Three recognized a lack of synergy.
“Has there been anything new gleaned from the information they are recovering?”
“Unfortunately, no. There is a terabyte of raw information. Making connections and putting things into context is going to take time.” One allowed a smile. “When we do, Guardian will no longer be a problem.”
“I feel the need to remind you your line of thinking could be faulty. It has been ye
ars since the hacker was killed. By now, Guardian could have erected a defense against all the intelligence on the drive.”
One's anger boiled. Three was technically correct, but the reprimand did not sit well. “We will go through each piece of information, line by line. If there is a weakness, a way in, we will follow it.”
“Of course. Now shall we move on to another item on the agenda?”
Three looked down at her desk and missed the sneer One sent her way. Perhaps it was time to start another candidate listing.
Chapter 21
“Is there anything else we need?” Ryan glanced at the list they'd built over the last week. The snow hadn't abated, but getting off the mountain with his chains wouldn't be a problem. He needed to pick up his orders, and he'd stop for whatever they'd forgotten before he made his way back up the mountain. The trip would take him to Fayetteville and back through Charlotte. He would avoid the areas they visited before, limiting his exposure. The trip had been planned in advance to ensure he wasn't crossing the same areas. Humans were creatures of habit. They drove the same route, ate at the same places, saw the same people. Even the most adventurous of those he tracked had always fallen back on habit. It was how he made his kills. Gambling on human nature was a sure thing.
“Don't forget the peanut butter!” Ethan's voice carried from the front room where he and Dog were supposed to be reading a book for a homeschool report.
Bethanie rolled her eyes and called back, “We have plenty.”
“Hey, you can never have too much peanut butter.” Ryan chuckled and pulled her to him as he leaned on the counter.
“He needs to eat more veggies.”
“He'll be fine. He's strong and healthy.” Ryan dropped a kiss on her upturned lips.
“He'll turn into a peanut.”
“Perhaps. You know how to reach me if you need anything.” He'd gone through the steps over and over, but leaving them alone for the first time was, well hell, it was fucking nerve-racking.
“I do. And I know what to do in case of an emergency. We'll be fine. You'll be gone two days.”
“Max.”
“Don't try to push it. According to the Highway Patrol's website, the roads are horrible, and I worry.”
“You saw that, did you?” He'd been working on his route this morning when she'd brought him a freshly baked cinnamon roll.
“I did. Don't take any unnecessary chances. We'll be fine.”
“You know how to activate the alarm. Make sure you do that each evening after Dog comes in for the night.”
“I will. We'll be okay. I watch you do it every night.”
“We can postpone the pickup.” He didn't like the idea of leaving them on the mountain alone.
“Then we can't finish the garden. Seriously, we are going to be okay. He has homework. I'm going to start the seedlings, and we have a bunch of new movies. We will be fine.”
Ryan pulled her into a hug. He'd feel better if Bethanie had access to his weapons. Once the weather cleared and he could take them out and train them on safe handling and shooting techniques, he'd feel better about leaving them. Nah, he really wouldn't.
He'd checked in with Guardian last night. Even though he no longer worked as an assassin, he was armpit deep in protecting Bethanie and Ethan, and Guardian wanted them safe. So, he still had access, which was a damn good thing. There was no further information, which drove him insane. It could mean whoever was looking for his family had given up, but based on his experience, he doubted it. If it were him, he'd be waiting for some indication of their whereabouts based on the life they left. Thank God Bethanie and Ethan knew not to reach out to anyone in New York. All tendrils of their past life had to be severed, and he'd gone over everything, twice. No online presence. Ethan's homeschooling was cloaked, and Bethanie's web browsing for the things she needed for the garden was done anonymously. She put the items in the shopping cart, and he ordered the items with an alias.
“You better go.” Bethanie squeezed him tighter, belaying her words.
“I know.” He squeezed her against him as if to graft her into his DNA, and wasn't that some sappy shit. He let her go and grabbed the list of things they'd forgotten on the last trip down the hill.
He pocketed the list and held her hand before he gave a sharp whistle. Both Dog and Ethan came running. The boy, however, didn't stop. He flew at Ryan, and Ryan caught him. The boy's arms wrapped around his waist. He rubbed the kid's back. Fuck him, he teared up. It was the first time Ethan had hugged him. He closed his eyes and held on. He cracked his eyes open at the touch of Bethanie's hand on his arm. She smiled up at him. Words weren't really needed. Although he'd never say it out loud, she knew what the hug meant to him.
Ethan pushed away and smiled. “Don't forget peanut butter.”
“I won't. You take care of your mom, okay?”
“Dog and I will protect her.”
“Don’t doubt it for a minute.”
“When are you going to be back?”
“No later than two tomorrow afternoon.” He was probably going to have to spend the night in Charlotte. He hated the idea, but it was the smartest course of action. He leaned over and kissed Bethanie again.
“Gross, you guys!” Ethan spun on his heel. “C'mon Dog.” They raced back to the couch. Ethan flopped on it and Dog jumped up after him. The ensuing laughter, yips and tussling as they fought over the corner seat were loud and filled the cavern with happiness and life. He’d had no idea what he'd been missing—which was probably a good thing. How in the fuck would he have made it through the first forty years of his existence if he’d understood what he didn't have? Now, he knew, and he fucking coveted every second of his time with the two people who had transformed his life.
With his arm around Bethanie, they strolled to the back door.
“Be safe.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he dropped a kiss on her upturned lips.
“I will. I'll be back as soon as I can.” He cupped her neck, and his thumb traced her cheekbone. The words he wanted to say were at the tip of his tongue, but this wasn't the place or the time.
“We'll be fine.” She smiled at him and nodded to the door. “Get gone so you can come back. We'll miss you.”
Ryan dropped a final kiss on her lips and walked out the door. This was going to be the quickest trip down the mountain in history.
Or not. Ryan rubbed his neck as he watched the clerks at the electronics warehouse search for his order. For fuck's sake. He glanced at his watch again. The manager came over, and a new round of fingers pointing at screens ensued.
He'd paid over three thousand dollars for a track system that would rotate the crops around the grow lights, giving them optimum exposure. “If you can't find it, I'm out of here.”
“No, sir, we have it, but it was sent to the store on the other side of the city.” The manager glanced up at him and smiled. “I'll have it brought over. Will two o'clock be all right?”
“No, it will not be all right. Give me the address, I'll go pick it up myself,” Ryan ground out.
The manager's eyes popped wide, and he nodded. “I'll be glad to take ten percent off the purchase price.”
“Don't bother. The address?”
Ryan snatched the business card the manager handed him with the address jotted down on the back of it. He plugged the address into his truck's GPS and groaned. Thankfully, he already had all the groceries and supplies. This last pick up would set him back a couple of hours, but he should still make it back up the mountain by two.
“Mom!” Ethan shouted from the front room.
“Stop yelling at me and come in here if you want to talk to me, please!” Her hands were wrist deep in dirt. She'd been labeling containers and filling small egg-crate-sized cups with growing mixture. The seedlings would start in the small containers and then when a root system was established, they'd be moved to the hydroponic cradles. The small amount of soil would eventually wash away as nutrient-enhanced water dripped over the r
oots.
“Can I go down and wait for Ryan?” Ethan leaned against the doorway.
“No. You need to stay here.” She pointed to a bag of dirt. “Would you bring that over here please?”
Ethan rolled his eyes but dragged the dirt toward her. “Why can't I?”
“Because where he parks the truck is too far away for me to see you.” She snipped the bag open and used her hands to cup enough soil to fill the containers in front of her.
“But I know the way. You let me unload the truck with Ryan. I was by myself then. I'm not a baby, and Ryan has taught me how to be careful.”
She stopped what she was doing and turned her attention to her son. “I know you're not a baby. I'm sorry if you think I'm treating you like one, but, until we know for sure there isn't anyone looking for us, we need to be safe. Ryan asked that we stay in the cavern while he was gone. I think we can wait just a bit longer, don't you?”
Ethan shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “I know the way. I'm not going to get lost, and there isn't anyone else on this stinking mountain.”
Wow. “Okay, I'm not sure what's going on here, Bud. I thought you liked living here?” She sat back on her heels.
“I do, it's just... nothing.” He shrugged his shoulders and glanced out of the cave.
“It is only an hour or two before Ryan comes back. How about you watch a movie? You can bring it in here if you want.”
Ethan sighed. “Mom, I don’t need constant supervision. I'm twelve, not two.”
“I didn't mean to imply that you were. You can watch it in the front room if you want?”
“I'm going to my room.”
“Okay.” She watched him turn around and shuffle out. “Hey?”
He turned around and glanced at her.
“I think you're a fantastic young man. You make me proud, every day.”
He shrugged his shoulders again. She heard Dog's claws tripping across the hardwoods following Ethan toward the incline.
She sighed and looked at the dirt in front of her. More and more, Ethan was looking for independence. She let him set his own boundaries when it was safe. Was she overly cautious? Perhaps. She dropped her head back between her shoulders and stared at the roof of the cavern. When whatever threat they'd been living under went away, she'd make sure Ethan attended the homeschool functions in the area. It would be an effort, but he needed friends and interaction. Shielding him for the short term was for his own good, although when you're twelve, she didn't suppose understanding limitations was easy. She glanced at the containers she needed to fill and drew a deep breath. She'd finish, wash up, and then maybe they'd both go down to wait for Ryan. The thought brought a smile to her face. It was just overnight, but she missed him. Obviously, Ethan did, too.
Lycos (Guardian Security Shadow World Book 3) Page 18
