Without hesitating, Val walked into Griff’s arms. He crushed her against him. “I’m okay,” she said in a reassuring tone, kissing his cheek.
Griff pressed a kiss to her hair before releasing her. He wanted to kiss Val more, but it wasn’t the right time or place. “You’re sure?” he insisted, walking her to the table and pulling out a chair for her.
“Positive.” Griff seemed to intuitively know she needed his embrace. He sat next to her. It gave her the security she needed. She pulled out the camera from her purse and placed it on the table, facing the two officials across the table.
“There are hundreds of bales of marijuana beneath a well-insulated trapdoor in the tack room of Downing’s barn.” Her mouth turned into a slash. “The problem is this camera did not work. It had a dead battery.”
Josh groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“No, I’m not. It’s weird because I put a brand-new battery in it before I left here.”
“Did you test it before you left?” Cade asked, his brow wrinkling with concern.
“I did. And it worked when I was here. Once I got there, the damn thing was dead. I couldn’t get the photos we needed.”
Cade scowled. “But you had a cell phone on you. Couldn’t you use it instead?”
“It fell out of my purse when I got out of the truck. I didn’t see it fall on the seat. When I was in the basement beneath the barn I found out I didn’t have it on me. If I’d gone back to my truck to look for it, Downing would have become suspicious.” She gave them an apologetic look as she saw the disappointment cross their faces. “I’m sorry, it was a screwup. I found my cell phone lying on the seat when I was leaving his ranch.”
Gordon closed his eyes, frustration in his expression. He opened his eyes, pushed his fingers through his dark hair. “Then we’re back to square one. No judge will order a search warrant based upon no photos. It’s a ‘he said, she said’ and a judge will refuse our request.”
Scratching his head, Cade said, “At least we know.”
“The info Val gathered is worth nothing,” Gordon said tersely, pushing his notes around in front of him.
Val felt badly. “I can go back there tomorrow? I’ll make damn sure the camera is working. And I’ll check to make sure I have my cell phone on me. It won’t take much to get back in that tack room and take the photos.”
“No,” Griff growled, glaring at the two law enforcement men. “You’re not asking Val to go back over there.” He turned toward her. “I know Downing would become very suspicious of your return.”
“I did talk with him at length about a couple of horses,” she argued, holding Griff’s gaze. He was upset, his mouth thinned and eyes narrowed. She could feel his protectiveness. Val realized suddenly he loved her. For a moment, the shock of realization left her speechless. She saw the love burning in his eyes and worry for her safety. Reaching out, she gripped his hand for a moment. “I told him I’d be back shortly with some more questions and possibly to purchase of one of his endurance horses. Downing is expecting me back.”
Shaking his head, Griff held on to her hand. “My gut tells me Downing already suspects you. It’s too dangerous for you to go back there, Val.” He swung his gaze to the men across the table. “Isn’t there some other way to do this?”
Gordon rubbed his chin in thought. “Downing isn’t going to keep those bales at his ranch along very long. It’s too dangerous for him. Chances are, even if Val goes back over there tomorrow, they’ll be gone. We have to figure from a different angle.”
Cade looked through his file. “Val has kept a record of that floatplane flying over the ranch,” he said. “If it follows the same pattern as it has been, it’ll show up again two days from now. Why not set a trap up for them? We can at least apprehend the plane, the pilot and the men in the boat. One of them may talk and implicate Downing.”
Gordon sighed. “It’s our only course of action. It won’t guarantee us Downing, though.”
Sad, Val said, “I’m really sorry, Josh.”
Gordon shook his head. “You did everything right, Val. And you did a good job. Equipment fails out in the field all the time, we know that. Go home and resume your normal life. I’ll be in touch with you and Griff as soon as Cade and I can devise a strategy for that next plane landing on Long Lake.”
* * *
UPON ARRIVING HOME, VAL PRETENDED nothing was wrong as she spotted Gus in the kitchen. She walked over to her grandmother and placed a kiss on her brow. Val critically searched her wrinkled face. “Are you feeling any better?”
Gus snorted. “I’m fine, honey. You get your shopping done in town?”
Val had lied and said she and Griff were going to the Horse Emporium for some items. “Yep, we did. I’m going to check emails and see if we have some more people wanting to reserve our cabins next year.” She saw Gus perk up and smile.
“Do that. And I’m going to go out this afternoon and look at the work Griff has done to get ready for those cabin packages coming in tomorrow.”
“He’s got it all ready,” Val said. She left the kitchen and walked down to her office. Relieved that Gus didn’t suspect anything, Val turned on her Apple computer. She frowned when she saw her inbox. There, among the new items, was an email from Zach Mason. How did he get her address? Then she remembered she’d listed it on the new website they’d put up for cabin reservations. What did he want? Clicking on it, Val rapidly scanned the short message.
Can you meet me at Long Lake at midnight tonight? Near the boat landing on the forest service side? I have something I need to share with you.
Val reread it several times, stymied. Zach was known to be linked to the drug drops at the lake. Why was he contacting her? Val sat back in her chair and thought about the message. She had not seen Zach at Downing’s ranch although she knew he worked for him. And she was positive no one saw her go into the tack room or had discovered her down in the basement where the bales of marijuana were hidden. Did the kid want to tell her about the drug drops? And why? Was it a trap? Val got up, shut the computer down and went hunting for Griff.
She found him at the barn putting building supplies into the truck. Approaching him, Val told him about the email. “What do you think?” she asked him.
Pushing the tip of his hat off his brow, he said, “I don’t know. Zach wasn’t around when you were there. Why would he contact you after you’d been at Downing’s ranch?”
Val shrugged. “Got me. I’ve met Zach a couple of times in town. Ran into him and his sister, Regan, at Mo’s Café where I was getting some lattes to go. I know him casually, but that’s all.”
“I think we should tell Gordon and Cade.”
“No,” Val said. “Let’s not jump the gun. What if Zach wants to turn evidence over on Downing? If I show up with a swat team, he’ll run. We’re already on thin ice after my visit to Downing’s ranch. We can’t risk having people lurking around nearby as I meet him. If he suspects anything at all, he’s liable to do something rash.”
“Why contact you, though? Why a stealth meeting at midnight at the boat ramp? Why couldn’t he meet you at Mo’s Café or somewhere else during daylight hours?”
“Maybe he’s afraid he’ll be spotted by Downing and his men?”
Rubbing his jaw, Griff said, “This doesn’t feel right to me, Val. We need to take this to Cade and show him the email.”
“No. For all we know, Griff, this could be a very innocent request. Can you imagine what Zach will feel like if he finds out I showed up with law enforcement in tow? What kind of message does that send him? Do you think he’ll ever reveal whatever it is he has to say? I’ve worked with snitches before and this is typical behavior. They don’t want to be seen but they have valuable information to pass on.” Usually for an amount of money.
“I see your point,” he said. Pulling the
hat off his head, Griff wiped the sweat from his temples. The sun had climbed toward zenith and it was already eighty degrees. “Still…”
Reaching out, Val touched his darkly sunburned arm. Running her fingers lightly across his damp flesh, she said, “It will be all right. I’ll be fine. I’ve met operatives in the field before and I won’t be dumb about it.”
“I want to go with you.”
“You can hide nearby. One person should be fine. But if Zach sees you, he might run. Trust me on this, Griff.” Val searched his grim features. She saw stubbornness burning in his eyes. She perked up and smiled a little. “Who knows? This just might be the break we need to crack the case on Downing. Isn’t that worth the gamble?”
Griff grumbled to himself as he watched her walk back to the house to answer Zach’s email. The last thing he wanted was Val in danger. Wiping his mouth, he glared out over the lush landscape.
He loved Val. There, he’d admitted it. Realizing that he’d been falling in love with her ever since he’d met her, Griff felt his gut churn. Something wasn’t right about this meeting. He sensed it. What to do? Break her trust and go to Gordon and Cade? Could their fragile relationship stand such a decision? Griff knew it could destroy what he’d been patiently building over time with Val.
* * *
“STAY ALERT,” GRIFF WARNED VAL as they pulled up to the darkened boat ramp on Long Lake. He reached out, gripping her hand for a moment.
Val turned and looked into his eyes. “I will,” she promised. “Zach is there.”
Lifting his chin, Griff saw the spindly dark outline of the kid waiting on the dock. “Yeah, and he’s nervous.” He pulled a holster from the glove box. It was his .45 pistol. He’d stashed it there before they headed out to the dock. This was a weapon that would stop an attacker with a single shot. And it was one of the small arms that had won him the pistol championship last year, so he was familiar with using it.
Picking up the night goggles, he said in a low voice, “I’m putting these on now. You can’t see into the night, but I can. Let me look around before you leave the truck, to make sure there are no traps.”
Val waited. She felt fearful and on guard. She knew Griff was an expert marksman. He’d shared that detail with her during one of their many conversations, and she was relieved to see the .45 sitting on the dashboard, in case he needed to use it in her defense. She tried to peer into the darkness. “Anything?” she asked in a hushed tone.
“No, not that I can see,” he said. Maybe Val was right. Maybe Zach Mason was alone and just wanted to tell her something. He took off the goggles. “Go ahead. But be careful.”
Leaning over, Val cupped his face and placed a warm kiss on his mouth. It was a swift kiss, one meant to tell him she loved him. Withdrawing enough to look up into his surprised gaze, she whispered, “I have you, Griff. You’ve given me new life by just being yourself. I’m not throwing you or us away.” She left the truck.
Griff’s mouth tingled hotly in the wake of Val’s unexpected kiss. He’d nearly said I love you, but at the last second he’d withheld the admission. Putting the goggles back on, he continued to peruse the brushy area around the boat landing. His heart pounded with fear for her as she walked confidently around the bank of the lake to where Mason stood on the end of the boat ramp.
As Val approached Zach she saw his hand trembling as he smoked a cigarette. When he looked up and stared hard at her, she saw how pale he looked beneath the watery moonlight. His pupils were huge and she realized he was on drugs. Moving within six feet of him, she could smell the marijuana he was smoking. The joint moved restlessly between his fingers.
“Zach?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” His eyes became squinty and his voice petulant. “You didn’t come alone. I told you to come by yourself.”
Val halted. This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted anyone with her. Why she’d insisted they not tell Cade and Gordon, since they might make their presence known and they couldn’t risk that. But she couldn’t go back in time now. Griff was here and all she could do was hope Zach didn’t run as a result. “Griff is with me. He wasn’t about to let me come out here by myself. I hope you understand.” She made a point of not turning her back to the thick brush nearby. Instead, she positioned herself between the bank and the ramp, her back to where Griff was parked in the truck. “Don’t you think it’s a little unusual to meet someone at midnight out in the middle of nowhere?” she asked.
Zach looked at her, the truck and then at the brush. Shuffling his feet, he didn’t answer her and refused to meet her gaze. Perspiration dotted his upper lip, which hadn’t been shaved in several days. He took another jerky drag off the joint.
Val waited. She keyed her hearing. Oddly, there were no frogs croaking as they would be on a normal night. Why? Had Zach’s appearance frightened them into silence? “What is it you wanted to tell me, Zach?”
Before Zach could say anything, the brush to Val’s left suddenly exploded with violent activity. Val heard the movement and spun toward it. Her eyes widened enormously. Two large, heavy men in camo gear, rifles in hand, charged her. Their faces were blackened, their heads wrapped in black bandannas so they wouldn’t be easily seen.
Zach leaped off the wooden platform, racing the other way, as fast as he could go.
Val gasped as the first man, his eyes filled with anger, lunged at her. At the same moment, she heard the door to Griff’s truck open. Leaping to one side, Val lifted her foot and jammed it into the man’s chest. She heard him gasp, his eyes suddenly wide with surprise.
The second man had turned toward the truck. He lifted his rifle and fired.
Val heard the windshield on the truck shatter. Glass exploded in all directions beneath the splatter of several bullets. Griff! She had no time to do anything except evade her attacker, who had landed in a heap on the dock after her kick. Val lunged forward. Grabbing the rifle, she jerked it out of his hand and turned toward the second shooter. All her military training came online. She saw the man running toward the truck. Lifting the rifle, Val sighted on the goon.
Before Val could get off a shot, she saw Griff fire a shot from the .45. The man attacking him screamed. The rifle flew out of his hands, the bullet jerking him backward off his feet.
A hand grabbed at Val’s ankle. The fingers dug deep into her flesh, bruising her skin. Gasping, she felt herself thrown off her feet. The rifle flew out of her hands and she landed hard on her back, face inches from the water.
Her assailant, clearly recovered from the kick, leaped to his feet and went for the rifle that had landed near her head. Val kicked out wildly, her boot landing in the man’s groin. With a scream, the man grabbed his crotch and crumpled onto the sandy beach.
Shoving herself to her feet, Val reached for the rifle. Jerking a look to her left, she saw Griff leaning over the man he’d wounded in the leg. He took the rifle from him, his pistol trained all the while at his head. Turning, her breath coming in explosive gasps, Val aimed the rifle down at the moaning soldier who was huddled in a fetal position. She called out in an unsteady voice, “Griff! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. You?” he shouted.
“Okay…I’m okay. Call the sheriff’s department. Nine-one-one on your cell. Now!” Val backed off enough to have both attackers well within the sights of the rifle she held. She quickly looked around for Zach Mason but he was nowhere to be found. Had he run away? Or was he waiting to attack them? Not feeling safe, Val moved backward until she was at Griff’s side, keeping her rifle trained on the crumpled goon. Griff called in the attack and gave the dispatcher details of where they were located. Val’s gaze moved restlessly around the area.
“Put on those night goggles,” she told Griff. “Zach Mason is around here somewhere. He could be armed.”
Griff nodded and placed the rifle on the hood of the truck. Pulling the goggles in
place, he looked around, though careful to keep an eye on the guy lying on the ground before them. “I don’t see anything.”
Val felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest. “Keep looking. I don’t trust him.”
Glancing toward her, he asked, “You’re really okay?”
“Yes,” she answered, her voice hoarse, her gaze never leaving the two men.
It seemed like hours before the sheriff arrived. Griff was relieved when Cade Garner, Josh Gordon and two other deputies arrived to take the men into custody. Neither man was very happy that they hadn’t told them about this plan in the first place. Val explained her reasoning, and rationalized that with her drug enforcement background and the fact Griff was an expert marksman, they felt they could handle the situation. It seemed to appease them somewhat, but they weren’t out of the woods.
The ambulance arrived, its lights flashing yellow and red. The man that Griff had shot in the leg was taken care of by two paramedics. The other attacker was handcuffed while Deputy Garner read him his rights and shoved him toward the awaiting sheriff’s cruiser.
Val breathed a sigh of relief as she and Griff handed the rifles to another deputy after the two attackers were in custody. Instantly, Griff’s now-empty arms went around her. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest, felt his strong, male protectiveness. He pressed his lips to her hair, placing small kisses across the strands. “We did it,” she whispered, hugging him tightly. “And you were right, Griff. It was a setup.”
Inhaling her sweet, feminine scent, Griff released Val just enough to look down into her eyes. He saw fear in them. “Thank God, you’re okay.”
“You two all right?” Gordon demanded as he walked over.
Griff released Val but kept his arm around her shoulders. “Yes, we’re shaken up, but fine.”
The Wrangler Page 29
