“It depends on what he discovers as he investigates them. I spoke with him, and he informed me that he thought your guy made them but that he’d sit tight for a bit. I don’t know how long it’ll be before he makes a move. And if he does, he’ll go to ground so deep that not even I’ll know where he is.”
“Then I think my men need to make a move before they flee. I want Wren O’Riley gone and the problem solved. He will not testify against the family. This is my inheritance. My show to run. I always win, Agent Chase.”
His passenger got out of the car and strolled to a black SUV with tinted windows and a beefy gentleman holding the rear door open. The man nodded and got into the vehicle, most likely to signal that the conversation with Chase was complete. The large bodyguard entered the driver’s side, slammed the door shut, and drove away. A thin sheen of sweat slithered down Chase’s back as he sat and gripped the steering wheel. His knuckles turned white. Chase had placed himself in his current mess. Greed did a lot to a man. And the thought of a better life. When presented with a chance to help himself and his family, Chase jumped at the opportunity without thinking it through. But he’d gotten in bed with the devil, and he would have to finish it. Chase had no choice but to continue.
“I MADE the coffee. Would you like a cup?”
Jaeger nodded as he entered the large living room, a tad bit sluggish after his night. The nightmare had been vague and vivid at the same time. What bothered him the most, or at least the most that time, was that someone in his dream had been named Wren, yet it was not the Wren who currently held the mug of steaming goodness under his nose. Additionally his dream, or what he remembered of it, didn’t even appear to be in the current year. Fuck if he knew when it was, but it sure as hell wasn’t 2016.
“Do you think we’ll stay or have to go?” Wren asked.
Jaeger heard the concern in Wren’s voice, but he wasn’t sure of his answer.
“Not sure yet.” Jaeger inhaled the steam from his brew and took a swig. Nectar of the gods. “I’m going to take a ride in their direction and see if I can get a better feel for things. I might also drop my boss a line.”
“Oh, okay. Can I go with you to check things out?”
Jaeger pondered Wren’s question. Safety was his number one goal, and Wren would be far better off locked and secured in the cabin. But maybe he could be another set of eyes. And if Jaeger was able to find their hidey hole, Wren might come in handy as a temporary lookout. The guy was probably stir crazy after being locked away for the past week with no sunshine or fresh air. Yeah. It was time to take a drive and check out the surroundings—maybe even head back to town and see what the locals were saying.
“Yeah. You can go with me. We’ll take a ride into town and see what’s going on. Grab a bite to eat at the local diner and get the gossip. Someone who sticks out will definitely be the talk of the town.”
If the circumstances had been different, Jaeger’d have chuckled at the speed with which Wren ran to his bedroom and grabbed his jacket and sunglasses.
“I’m ready.”
“I noticed. Give me a sec, and we’ll head out.” Jaeger disappeared into his room to retrieve his gun. He seized the keys for the SUV, circled to the kitchen, and shut off the coffee maker. Then he snatched his jacket from the hook and opened the front door into the fresh air of the cool morning. The sun had risen but wasn’t high enough to clear the trees.
As he secured the door and the alarm system, Jaeger heard Wren inhale and fill his lungs with the smell of fresh greenery and morning dew.
Jaeger looked around for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. And the only sounds were the morning calls of the birds and the scurrying of squirrels that were rustling through leaves or scampering up trees. Everything was fine.
They got into the car, and Jaeger drove very slowly until he reached the end of the path and had to get out to remove the large tree limbs that hid the uncharted drive. Task accomplished, he and Wren drove in companionable silence down the two-lane road until they reached the outskirts of town.
“Make sure you keep the chatter to a minimum in the diner,” Jaeger said. He needed Wren to understand that they were not there to make friends with the locals, but manners were still a necessity. They walked a fine line between sticking out as tourists on vacation, who might be remembered, and being just a couple of frequent flyers to the Adirondacks. They had to act like they belonged.
“I will,” Wren replied. “I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to.”
“No. Just don’t draw attention to us. Yes, we’re vacationers. But we’ve been here before, so we’re part of the local flavor. Make sense?”
“Got it. Blend in, but not too much, and keep our ears open to any gossip about outsiders. Which we are as well, but be outsiders who are actually insiders. Right?”
“Right,” Jaeger agreed and pulled into the parking lot of the diner. His stomach rumbled on cue—eggs, home fries, bacon, and coffee were definitely on the itinerary.
“Let’s see if we can get a booth in the back with sight lines to the door.” Jaeger pocketed the keys of the SUV and led the way. The chime over the door alerted the workers and patrons that more company had arrived.
The parking lot was only half-full, and Jaeger hoped that his booth of choice would be available. Never sit with your back to the door. Instilled in him from—Jaeger stopped midstride. Déjà vu came over him as he recalled those words, but not where he’d heard them. His training at FLETC—yes. But it was before even that. Way before.
Wren bumped into his back as the booth caught his eye—back corner, clear sight of the front door, angled he could also see the kitchen and its rear exit.
Jaeger looked around, ever vigilant of his surroundings. His training kicked in, and he became hyperaware of the patrons and workers and their scrutiny. According to the sign on the wall, the diner had been a fixture in the community for over fifty years and boasted the best breakfast in that part of the Adirondacks. Probably the only diner within miles.
The splitting, brown-vinyl booth seats showed their age, as did the scarred laminate tabletops. Jaeger nodded to a few of the patrons as he led the way with Wren in tow. Choosing the booth seat against the wall, Jaeger slid into the far end and angled his body slightly to have a clear view. He motioned with his head for Wren to sit opposite him but not to block his sight line. As soon as they sat, a harried-looking waitress, her red hair in a bun and a pencil tucked behind her ear, approached them with a coffee carafe in her hand.
“Gentlemen, coffee?”
Jaeger delivered a winning smile and nodded his head. “Yes, ma’am.” Polite but not overly.
“You boys are not from around here.” She poured the java with the skill of a pro and never spilled a drop as she pulled the pencil from behind her ear.
“No, ma’am. My buddy and I are taking in the sights and doing a bit of hunting farther up the highway. Meeting some more of the guys for a little man time, if you know what I mean.”
The waitress smiled and chuckled. She placed the coffee pot on the table and took her pad and pencil in hand to take the order.
“Away from the wives and girlfriends. I completely understand. Sometimes I need a few days away from my own husband, before he drives me crazy. Hell. That’s why I work at the diner. My respite. So, boys, what are we having?”
Before Jaeger could answer, Wren jumped into the conversation. “Can we have the special? Both over medium. And can I also get an orange juice?”
“Sure thing, sugar.”
“Sorry.” Jaeger looked up at Wren when the waitress left. “I figured I should jump into the conversation so she wouldn’t remember me as the mute.”
“No worries. And good thinking.”
They dug in as soon as their breakfast arrived. The over-medium eggs were just runny enough, and Jaeger sopped up the yoke with buttered bread. Thick slices of bacon and crisp potatoes added to the culinary delight—all of which hit the spot.
The attenti
ve redhead brought seconds for coffee, along with the local gossip.
“You boys be careful up at your camp. A few of the locals were saying there were ‘big city hunters’ up this way. Spotted them a mile away.” Jaeger smiled at her loose lips.
“You don’t say. Not some of the regulars that come up a few times a year, then. Always have to be careful of wannabes,” Jaeger interjected with enough enthusiasm to appear wary of her big news but not too much. He nodded to Wren to indicate they both understood her.
“Yeah. They passed through the diner yesterday, but it wasn’t my shift. Mabel told me they stuck out like a sore thumb—new jeans and designer flannels. No clue what they think they’ll do in clothes like that. Just look pretty for the woods, I guess.” Jaeger and Wren joined her in the chuckle, and before Jaeger could attempt a reply, she placed their check on the table, turned, and headed to the next customer.
“Have a nice day, boys. Weather’s real pretty today.”
“THAT WAS very interesting, don’t you think?” Wren spoke over the rim of his coffee cup. Jaeger was deep in thought.
“Interesting enough to capture my attention, yet vague enough to keep me wondering.”
“The guys she spoke about have to be the ones you saw last night.”
“Now we need to find out who they are and decide the next course of action. If they’re friends of Tío Juan, then….” Jaeger knew a hint of sarcasm tinged his voice, but staying put with a witness was one thing, and running with one was another. He didn’t relish the running part. He’d rather stay and kill. That was what he was trained to do.
Jaeger tossed the money on the table for the check and a generous tip and slid from the booth. “Let’s take a drive and see what we can find. We’ll head northwest from the cabin and see what’s out there. Depending on what we see, I’ll decide the next course of action.”
They stepped out the door and made their way to the vehicle in silence. In the SUV Jaeger looked to his witness. “I hope that whatever you’re about to testify to in court is worth the fight. Because it’s brought death to our doorstep. I know you saw a killing and have computer files, but I have the sneaking suspicion that there’s more to the story, and I despise sneaking.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
WREN STARED out the passenger-side window as Jaeger peeled out of the parking lot and back on the highway. They drove until they reached Rte. 73 and turned onto the quieter road, the one that would take them back to their cabin or onto the search for the would-be campers. They passed little traffic on the road and the cabins, at least what Wren could see, were few and far between. He noticed a few sporadically placed gravel or dirt roads that he surmised led to dwellings.
The appeal of High Peaks was not only the beauty, but the seclusion it afforded. With enough to do in the surrounding areas, vacationers received the usual trappings of the mountains and the serenity of solitude. One day Wren thought he’d like to return and actually enjoy the area and absorb the quiet on his own terms. Travel had always been a part of his life, but he’d never been able to simply enjoy it. As part of the Rincón family, he always had someone lurking in the background watching his every move.
Dating had always been problematic. His sexuality came into play, and usually once a person found out who his family was, he’d do an about-face. Wren was cognizant of who he was related to even if he wasn’t aware of what exactly his uncle did. His attempt to alienate himself and his personal life from his family proved futile. His lover, Javi, was the only one who understood his predicament, and that ended badly. Wren would have to come clean with Jaeger at some point in their journey—his lover, his uncle, the fight.
“What do you plan to do? Check every cabin within two miles of ours? ‘Sorry. Just looking for two thugs. Have you seen them?’” Wren thought the idea absurd and really didn’t expect Jaeger to reply.
“Actually no, smart ass….”
Wow, there was levity and sarcasm in Jaeger’s voice.
“We’ll just drive around and get a lay of the land. See some of the sights. And if anything seems suspicious, I’ll look into it. I have a pretty good idea of where they’d be staying, so if we can drive close enough to it, we’ll have a look-see. Cartel thugs are not known to be experienced woodsmen.”
Wren noticed they followed the coordinates Jaeger had programmed into the GPS before they ventured out for breakfast. As they drove much slower, the red bull’s-eye of the device pounded more rapidly. Wren had never seen a GPS like that one, and he knew tech.
“Let’s see if we can find a spot to stop and enjoy the scenery. Maybe take a little walk. There’s plenty of tourist parking spots so people can hike and enjoy the lake.”
Wren heard the water slapping against rocks and shoreline. He wasn’t sure if they were directly on top of Lake Placid or just a fishing inlet. It was definitely a place he’d want to experience again when all the craziness was over.
“There, up ahead. We’ll park there. There are enough vehicles that we won’t stand out.”
Wren couldn’t imagine the marshal never standing out. He was tall and good-looking. His jacket strained to cover the muscles of his chest and back, and his jeans appeared to be painted on his thick thighs. Wren imagined his legs wrapped around Jaeger’s trim waist as Jaeger pounded into him up against the cabin wall.
Once they parked and exited the vehicle, Wren waited by the hood for Jaeger to trot to the enclosed wooden trail board and nab a pamphlet—probably the marked trails and their distances. Wren leaned over Jaeger’s right side and helped him smooth out the trifold and pinpoint the ‘You Are Here’ star. From there Wren traced his finger along the route that started at the parking lot and its various offshoots.
His fingers made contact with the sliver of exposed wrist usually covered by Jaeger’s leather band. A small electric shock radiated up Wren’s finger, through his arm, and straight to his chest. His intake of breath and their sudden connection took him by surprise. Startled, Wren lifted his head and met Jaeger’s light brown eyes. By the look on Jaeger’s face, Wren concluded that he too felt the sting.
Wren felt as though a connecting thread wove their two souls together and bound them by some unexplainable force. As though a seed had been planted ages before, yet he knew he had never crossed paths with the marshal.
He wanted to melt into the marshal’s arms and run for his life at the same time. Both ideas scared the living shit out of him and excited him. Jaeger was an enigma, an onion with many layers. Wren could take a lifetime to peel back each one and find the true Jaeger Tripp. And Wren wanted those years. He couldn’t explain it, but the attraction was not only about lust, but survival and safety. Even with Jaeger’s brash attitude and sometimes-condescending tone of voice, Wren still wanted to be in his arms, to place his lips on every part of his body and feel the warmth of his embrace. Of course he wanted to be fucked by him too, in the most carnal way.
“Sorry,” Wren stammered and pulled his fingers off the map and away from Jaeger’s exposed flesh.
“No worries. And yeah, I think their cabin is close to one of these trails. I can’t imagine they’d be able to keep their bearings straight if they deviated too far.”
“But they could have a GPS tracker or something of the sort too,” Wren countered.
“Agreed, but those aren’t always accurate where there are no roads. Let’s just take a casual hike and see if there’s anything out of the ordinary near any of the sites or a vehicle that looks out of place. I can always come back tonight, after dark, and check out anything we find.”
With a nod, Wren trailed after Jaeger and into the woods.
JAEGER NEEDED to put some major distance between himself and the young man he was tasked to protect. He wanted to take Wren in his arms, kiss those plump rosy lips, and smooth his hands up and down Wren’s body while he did it. The shockwave that coursed through his body when Wren touched him was not entirely unexpected, as his feelings for him grew more lustful and frightful by the minute.
Wren was the enemy. Jaeger should only need to protect him because he was assigned to do so, not because he desired to. It was as though Wren’s presence brought out the worst and the best in Jaeger—and the two emotional states at times blended together. Jaeger felt more at ease in his own skin when he was behind the sight of his weapon, eradicating the scum of the earth. The agency didn’t hire him for his suave manners, but for his keen ability to track, sniff out a suspect, and handle his weapons. As far as Jaeger was concerned, the government gave him a free pass to do what he did best—shoot to kill.
Unfortunately Wren O’Riley threw a wrench in Jaeger’s plans, and he wanted to fuck him as much as fuck him over. Jaeger had to get a grip on himself, but the longer he was around Wren, the more difficult it became. Their sequestered month could not pass fast enough.
JAEGER SLOWED his walk and waited for Wren to catch up to him. The farther they stomped through the woods, the more the trails narrowed. They passed a few hikers—real hikers—and spied a few cabins on various gravel drives that led off a main road. Based on his handheld tracker and the distance they had traveled from the outcrop, Jaeger knew the men would have made their camp nearby.
Voices could be heard from what he presumed was a neighboring cabin. Placing his fingers to his lips, he signaled for Wren to stop in his tracks and not make a sound. Jaeger listened. Definitely men’s voices. Jaeger closed the distance between himself and Wren in three long strides and whispered, “Stay here for a second. I’m going to get a bit closer and see if I can snap a few pics. Then we’ll head back to the car and the cabin.” Jaeger quickly and quietly maneuvered toward the voices. He fully expected Wren to remain where he’d left him. No questions asked.
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