“No.” Amanda shook Sharon’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Please make yourself at home. You’re a member of the family now,” Carlie continued.
“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” Amanda replied.
Adam clapped his hands together to break the emotional moment. “Okay, so we have a plan.” He glanced at Logan.
Everyone else was already there. All of the Masters siblings and several mates. Sawyer had been there while they formulated the morning plan.
“Fill me in,” Logan said, draping his jacket and Amanda’s over the rental counter.
It was eight thirty. The first group of hikers would show up at nine.
Adam continued. “Trace and Corbin are both officially at work for their respective sheriff’s offices. They’re going to lead the team that shifts and heads to the logging site. Logan, you’re with them. You’re the one who’s been there the most and knows the best angle to approach during working hours.”
“Got it.”
Adam turned toward Melinda. “Melinda. You’re also with them. If anybody’s going to get a good feel on what’s happening there, it’s you.”
Melinda nodded agreement.
“Zachary and Sharon are leading the morning hikers. I’ll stay here with Griffen to man the rental desk. Carlie will be in the office.”
“Who do you want me with?” Sawyer asked.
“Oh, right. I was thinking you might like to join the hike. That puts at least one member of your family somewhere else on the mountain in case you get a feel for something.”
“How strenuous is this hike?” Amanda asked. “Would I be able to handle it too?”
“Of course,” Carlie said. “Perfect idea. But you’re welcome to stay here with me if you’d like too. That’s up to you.”
Amanda nodded.
Sawyer knew she would be with him. And he wasn’t sorry about that. He would prefer she be with him or Logan anyway. Not that the other Masters couldn’t handle protecting her, but he hated her being anywhere but by his side.
The first hikers arrived, and the meeting split up to get started.
“Stay in touch,” Logan said as he passed Amanda and Sawyer on his way out the door. The group of them would drive closer to the logging site and then leave their car and shift. “I’ll let you know what’s happening to the south.” He winked at Amanda but didn’t reach for her in front of the guests.
Sawyer spoke softly to Zach. “If I get a call, I’ll have to bail in a hurry.”
“No problem. We can always say you have to head back, and you can shift and run the rest of the way after we clear the area.”
Sawyer nodded. It would work. He wasn’t technically permitted to be far from easy access to his car, but what his team leader didn’t know was he could run faster than a human and be exactly where he needed to be in just as much time in an emergency.
It took about twenty minutes to get everyone gathered and headed out.
Amanda spent most of that time chatting with Sharon while Zach spoke to the hikers. There were eight guests in the group, ten with Sawyer and Amanda. Twelve with Zach and Sharon.
By ten o’clock, they were two miles from the lodge enjoying the gorgeous late fall scenery when Amanda stopped in her tracks. Sawyer nearly ran into her back when she did so. “You okay?”
Zach and Sharon were walking sideways, pointing out the local fauna while glancing over their shoulders every once in a while to watch where they were going.
Amanda crouched down low to the ground. “Rock in my shoe,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear. “We’ll catch up.”
Sawyer glanced around, knowing there was no rock in her shoe, while the others went around the bend.
And then he saw it. “Shit,” he muttered.
“Yeah.” She stood back up next to him, grabbing his arm. “That’s what I was thinking. So glad you guys warned me. I might have pissed myself.”
Approximately four yards off the path to the left hovered a black cloud of smoke. It shimmied back and forth enough to draw attention, except no one else had seen it. That fact alone freaked Sawyer out.
“What does it want?” Amanda asked, inching closer.
Sawyer grabbed her hand and held her back.
“It won’t hurt us.”
“Yeah. I get that vibe too, but still…”
Suddenly, it turned, as if it had been facing them, and floated alongside the path in the direction they’d come.
“We have to follow it,” Amanda said.
“Uh-huh.” She was right again, though he didn’t know why. It was an instinct. They didn’t have any way to alert the other hikers, but hopefully Zach would figure it out. Or Sharon. More than likely the two of them would think Sawyer and Amanda simply couldn’t go another step without fucking, but there was no way to avoid that misconception either.
The shadowy figure was about the size of a large bear, and it was intent on returning down the path the way they came. It moved at whatever pace they set too. Weird.
It seemed as if it was hiking with them, staying a few paces ahead and speeding up and slowing down as necessary. Neither of them said a word, not even telepathically, as if in mutual agreement that it might disturb the spirit.
The path they were on was barely wide enough for both he and Amanda to walk side by side. The strong scent of pine was pungent in the air. This late in the season many of the leaves had fallen from the lower trees, although the forest was still green from the pine needles that would remain. It was easy to keep the spirit in sight as it hovered in front of them, winding its way down the path.
The hike back to the bottom took half as long as the way up, and when they stepped out of the tree line, the spirit turned toward them, seemingly agitated, and then folded in on itself and disappeared, leaving not a trace of evidence it had been there.
“Holy shit,” Amanda whispered.
“Yeah.” Sawyer pulled her back against his front and set his chin on her head, his arms wrapping around her. He needed her touch. And her shaking frame told him she needed it just as much.
“You guys okay?” Logan asked.
“Yeah. We were just led down the mountain by your crazy spirit thingy.”
“No shit? When?”
“Just now. It disappeared seconds ago.”
“Then there’s definitely more than one of them, because we’ve been following one also.”
Amanda shuddered in Sawyer’s arms. “What does it mean?”
“No idea. We’re on our way back there now. See you in about thirty minutes.”
»»•««
Melinda leaned over the long table in the break room at the lodge and tapped on the map spread out in front of them. “It’s so random.”
“Seems that way,” Logan said. He couldn’t imagine what they were up against.
“And the craziest part is we’re definitely not stumbling upon the spirits. They’re coming to us.” Melinda stood upright, her gaze still on the map where they’d marked the spots they’d encountered the spirits in the last few days.
Sawyer spoke next. “Why do you suppose it wants to lead us out of the forest?”
“It’s not like we were lost,” Amanda added.
Melinda shook her head. “I really thought it had something to do with the loggers in particular, a warning, a message. But why the hell did you see one all the way up here at the same time?”
Logan’s mother folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “What did you see at the logging site?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary as far as we could tell,” Logan said. “Same as when I was there Thursday.” He’d wracked his brain the entire time they watched the workers, trying to see anything that jumped out at him, and came up blank. No one looked their way.
“Any shifters?” Adam asked.
“No.” Logan shook his head. “They’re all human. No one even glanced at where we stood inside the tree line.”
“Did you get a good look at the spac
e cleared by the trees?” Amanda asked.
“Yeah,” Melinda added. “I stared at that map Jackson gave you forever, and he’s right, it would take a measuring tape down to the millimeter to know for sure.”
“So, we know nothing more than we did yesterday,” Sawyer stated.
Melinda smiled. “We know the spirits have decided to hover around longer than they used to, and they enjoy a good hike.”
“Out of the mountains,” Logan pointed out. That has to mean something.
“Out of the mountains…” Trace repeated, holding his chin between his thumb and pointer. “What’s that all about?”
Corbin leaned over the table, staring at the map. “Do you suppose the spirits want us to get the loggers out of there because they’re damaging the land?”
“It’s possible, but why come get us way up here and lead us down the mountain today?” Sawyer asked.
Everyone remained silent for several moments.
Logan wasn’t buying it. “Nope. It has to be more than that. Every time in the past we’ve experienced these clumps of spirit sightings, lives were at stake. Not just land. And we still don’t know for sure this has anything whatsoever to do with the logging site.”
Melinda nodded. “True. Anything’s possible, but let’s assume the logging company is doing something dangerous instead of just illegal. Perhaps the crew is in danger, and the spirits want us to evacuate them. What could be putting them at risk?”
Sawyer rubbed his head. “Man, any number of things. They could be using equipment not up to standards. They could have a fuel leak. Hell, if they had a fuel leak from whatever source they’re using for diesel, it could be dangerous. They might not even know about it.”
Logan’s eyes lit up. He had an idea. “What would happen if there was an explosion? How widespread would the damage be?” It seemed Sawyer knew a few things about the hazards in the forest, and with reason. After all, he was their front line cleanup man when they fucked up. Fire…
At least four of them came to the same conclusion at once and stated, “Fire.”
Sawyer nodded. “Should have thought of that. We’re in the middle of a severe drought. That’s why I was hired in this area.”
As if on cue, while Logan stared at Sawyer, his phone buzzed, and he dug for it out of his pocket. “Son of a bitch.” Sawyer lifted his head. “Speaking of fire… Gotta run.” He leaned over Amanda, kissed her on the lips, and ran from the room.
“Dude. I do not want that job,” Trace said.
Corbin laughed. “Because yours is so much tidier?” He rolled his eyes. “Because we deputies never get called in the middle of the night to run to an investigation.”
Trace laughed. “Touché.”
»»•««
“Come on. Come on. Pick up the damn phone.” Roger tapped his fingers on his desk as he waited for Mike to answer.
“Hey, Roger. What’s going on now?” Mike sounded exasperated, and Roger wanted to slap his damn aggravation right off his face.
“Don’t be condescending, asshole. I’m paying you to do a job.”
“I’m well aware of what you’re paying me. Now tell me what has your panties in a wad this morning.” He didn’t let up on his snarky tone, which pissed Roger off, but he didn’t have time to address that issue any more this morning.
“Four of them were just here.”
“Four? Masters?”
“How the fuck would I know? They didn’t march onto the site in human form. They were wolves. They were snooping from the edge of the tree line. I have pictures. Get your ass here and tell me yourself who they were.” Roger stood from behind his desk and paced toward the window. “They’re snooping way too much for my comfort level. We need to act.”
“You mean like pull out of the particular site and move on? That kind of act?” Mike asked, his voice snarky.
“No. I was thinking more along the lines of getting the fuckers to keep their damn mouths shut if they think they know something and finishing the job we’re on. Have you heard any more from the deputy in Sojourn?”
“Not yet. He’ll let me know if he gets more intel, but that could be a while. We don’t have that kind of time.”
“How long is a while?” Roger snapped.
“Listen, Roger, you need to know when to stop. This is getting out of hand. You’re paying me to keep tabs on things and let you know when to call a particular project quits. I’m telling you that time has come. Get the fuck out of there now before the inspector shows up and takes you down. I’m surprised Jackson Wolf hasn’t been riding your ass already. He’s sharp. If you piss him off, you will go down.”
“You listen to me, Mike. I’m paying you a hefty amount for a reason, and in order to continue this little relationship, I need to make money. And to make money, I need to finish this job as planned. And that means I need more time. So, you get your ass here and look at these pictures and tell me who these goddamn wolves are so I can take action to ensure they don’t mess with me any further.”
“Take action? What the hell are you planning to do, Roger? Start killing people?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes. But first I need to know who I’m dealing with.” Roger’s blood boiled. “I need you to identify the players and let me handle the rest.”
Mike blew out a breath. “Fine, but let it be noted that I told you to cut your losses and shut down.”
“Fine. I heard your message loud and clear. Let it also be noted that I said fuck no.” Roger ended the call and tossed the phone on his desk. Son of a bitch.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sawyer concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He and the rest of the team had climbed through some very rugged terrain to reach the spot where they worked. It had been several hours already. He was hot. He was tired. And he was constantly thirsty. No matter how often he stopped to take a drink, his mouth felt dry moments later.
The smoke was thick ahead of them. He was grateful he could no longer see flames licking the tops of the trees, but their job was far from over. One small patch of smoldering embers could cause the forest fire to reignite in an instant if they didn’t ensure every flame was out.
Sawyer stopped next to a thick pine tree, took a deep breath, and lifted his chainsaw. The goal was to clear the trees along the edge of the stream running next to them to prevent the fire from jumping the water.
Before he pulled the lever to start up his chain saw, a wave of black smoke crossed his line of vision. He took two quick steps back, adjusting his gear while he glanced around. Fear crawled up his spine. Had they misjudged and gotten too close to an actively burning section of the forest?
Nothing out of the ordinary caught his eye. He blinked several times. The smoke was thick in the distance, but the area around the tree he was working on was relatively clear.
As he shook the weird image from his head, he stepped back up to the tree. Instantly, he was blinded again, this time completely, as if he’d stepped directly into an enclosed room filled with smoke.
He gasped and blinked. The thick darkness eased from his direct line of sight, but only a few feet this time. Sawyer lowered the chainsaw as he realized the gather of smoke in front of him wasn’t from the fire. It was a spirit. It hovered in its shimmering form, barely noticeable in the middle of an active fire.
But Sawyer knew.
It danced back and forth in front of him, antsy. Aggravated.
What the fuck did it want? It wasn’t as if now was a good time for him to go for a hike. He could hardly walk away from his team and follow some bear-shaped coalescence of smoke. He had work to do.
In fact, he shook his head at the spirit and lifted his chainsaw once again, ignoring the insistent figure while he started the noisy engine and set the chain to the tree trunk. The spirit remained. He caught sight of it in his peripheral vision several times, but luckily it didn’t put him in a dangerous position. If it decided to press in front of him again, he could make a fatal mistake while bli
nded by the smoke.
By the time the pine fell exactly in the spot he’d intended, the spirit was thankfully gone. Its presence had left a mark on Sawyer, however. He tried to shake the unease, but it remained with him as he made his way to the right with his team.
Another glance at the skyline told him they were making strides in the right direction. The wildland firefighters some distance to the north were obviously doing their jobs. A few more air drops, and they’d be out of danger.
But that was hours away. He had work to do. And he hoped to be left in peace while he got it done. Another episode like that would drive him batty.
»»•««
It was after four in the morning when Sawyer crept back into the condo and slipped into the bedroom. He was physically exhausted. Mentally, he had never been more alert. It always took him a while to slow his brain after a call.
Amanda sat up, pulling the sheet with her to cover her breasts. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He pointed at the bathroom. “I’ve had a shower, but I still smell like smoke. Let me wash again, and I’ll be back.”
“Okay.” Her voice was a soothing balm that instantly slowed his heart rate. It was worth working his ass off as hard as he did if he got to come home to her.
Before he could leave the room, Logan lifted up and climbed out of bed to follow him to the bathroom. At least the man wore a pair of loose shorts. Not that it mattered much since the first thing Sawyer did was strip his clothes and drop them in the hamper.
Logan leaned against the vanity. Amanda wandered in behind them and came to Logan when he held out a hand to her. He tucked her in front of him.
She was naked. Gloriously so.
Sawyer’s cock jumped to attention. “Hon…” He groaned. “How am I supposed to shower with you standing there like that?”
“Quickly?” She smiled and tipped her head to one side.
“What happened?” Logan asked as Sawyer turned on the water and then shut the glass door while it heated.
“Several things.” Sawyer sighed. “First of all, it’s rare that I get called somewhere so close to home. What are the chances? Secondly, my team doesn’t get called in unless there’s imminent danger of serious spreading. If the regular guys can handle it, they don’t add the hotshots.”
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