by Rachel Lee
She tucked in the tails of her red shirt and pulled her jacket off the hook. Before darting out, she opened her laptop to the weather and looked at the forecast. “We should be able to go up the mountain tomorrow. No more snow and warmer temperatures today. By morning hiking up there shouldn’t be too dangerous.”
“Will we take any of your wardens with us?”
She shook her head slowly. “The whole purpose of today’s meeting is to put them in the loop on the shooting and warn them to be extra careful. I definitely don’t want them all working in the same small area. Leaves too much opportunity for other miscreants.”
As she was about to open the door and step outside, Kel stopped her. “Desi? You gonna tell anyone about that camp up there?”
She turned, facing him squarely. “I don’t believe so.”
He raised both brows. “Why not? Yesterday you were talking about an overflight.”
“I was. But you know, you’re right. There’s something fishy about the way you were sent out here and what you were supposed to do. Right now I don’t feel inclined to tell anyone beyond these walls a darn thing. Not even about the possible camp.”
Then, pulling up her hood against the chill, she left.
* * *
Kel didn’t move for a few minutes, then slowly rose to begin cleaning up. So she’d come around to thinking there was something cockeyed about this, too.
For the very first time he cussed the military training which led him to take his orders without question. Different world, different customs, and he needed to wake his brain up, get it in gear the way he could when everything went to hell and he had to make up the game plan.
They’d sent him out here for a reason, but now he was wondering if it was just to get him out of the way. Why had someone submitted an application for him to get an outfitter’s license? That didn’t fit with the original idea of him drawing attention and learning something because the outfitter ring would get annoyed.
In fact none of it fit, and he was beginning to feel the fool. There was a story that made the rounds in the military, of a bunch of officer candidates being given a test. One of the questions was how to get a flagpole up in front of a building. Almost all the candidates went into great detail, even resorting to drawings in their directions.
They were all wrong. The proper answer was to give the order to your sergeant: “Go put up a flagpole.”
Well, he’d been the sergeant. He took the orders without question, and only in the field when things started happening did he take control.
So here he was, realizing that probably the very first thing he should have done before coming out here was question his orders and get a decent explanation of what his superiors expected.
Now he was wondering what the hell they’d sent him here for, and if the rot they were trying to find might have entered the Wildlife Investigative Unit.
His suspicions were certainly amped by Desi’s sudden announcement that she wasn’t going to mention the camp on the mountain to anyone. Something had edged her into distrust, too.
He almost didn’t want to go downstairs to the meeting. He needed to talk to Desi privately, and he didn’t need a bunch of questions from her wardens. But maybe it would be more suspicious if he didn’t show, when they were discussing the shooting yesterday.
Hell. Things were getting muddier by the minute. As he finished drying the dishes and putting the last of them away in her cupboard, he toyed with the idea of just setting out on his own for that campsite today, snow notwithstanding, while she had her meeting. He certainly had the training to be half a mountain goat, and the skills to protect himself from almost any threat. He could circle in surreptitiously and find out what was going on up there. Keep Desi out of harm’s way.
The instant that crossed his mind, he knew he was heading for a different kind of hell. Desi wouldn’t like that at all. What’s more, she’d resent his male high-handedness.
And she’d have every right. She’d managed the dangers of her job without him before. And like most of the wardens she was in peak physical condition. So what argument could he offer, except that he had combat training? That probably wouldn’t appease her. She was a law enforcement officer with a decade or more of experience.
Sighing, he dried his hands and gave up. Last night had been a wonderful experience, and if he were to be honest with himself, he didn’t want to do a thing that might damage his blossoming relationship with Desi. Even if they never became more than friends, it was still a friendship to protect.
Grabbing his jacket, he headed downstairs. He’d heard the trucks pulling in, and when he arrived in the office down below, five men had gathered with Desi in the small conference room off to the side. They all looked up when he entered.
“I thought Kel should join us,” Desi said from her seat at the table. “He was riding with me when we got the call from Jos, and he was the one who figured out the line of sight for the shooter. He’s also a former Ranger, so he might have some insights we can use.”
Nice introduction, Kel thought. He reached out to shake hands and was introduced to Fetcher, Lake, Willis, Rheingold and Logan, as well as Jos, whom he already knew. Then he took the remaining chair. The other men already had coffee in mugs that looked like they’d been used for years.
As if on cue, two sheriff’s deputies arrived along with the man himself, Gage Dalton. More handshakes were exchanged, then Desi got right to the point.
“At this point,” Desi said, “we can’t take much action. I would agree with you all that a guy with a pack of dogs and a string of horses might be one of the poachers we’re looking for. It’s also possible he was the shooter. The sheriff’s people are already looking into that angle.”
She paused, the smiled faintly without humor. “I know we all feel the same about catching these poachers. I know we’re all angry that a hunter was shot like that, deliberately. But we’ve got a whole lot of square miles to cover, and I need you guys out there and watchful. We can’t get so focused on this incident that we leave the rest of our section open to poachers. We’d be failing our duty. So for now, at any rate, we’re going to follow our standard procedures and let the sheriff do his part with regard to the shooting. If he needs our help, he’ll let us know.”
She looked around the table. “You are all the best wardens in Wyoming, as far as I’m concerned. I know you’ll do your jobs. All I ask is that if you get wind of these criminals, call for backup before you act. Some of them aren’t above killing humans.”
Heads nodded around the table. Only one of the men, Fetcher, eyed Kel dubiously, and finally, when there was a silence, he spoke. “I hear you’re going to be an outfitter, Kel.”
“That’s the plan.”
“But you don’t have a license yet.”
Kel stiffened inwardly. He knew an inquisition when he heard it. “Not yet.”
“So what’s this I hear about you taking two guys out next week?”
“Friends,” Kel answered. The law allowed him to guide two licensed hunters as long as he didn’t accept any money for his service. Just leave it at that, Fetcher.
Fetcher looked at Desi. “You satisfied with that?”
“Yes,” she answered. “If something changes, I’ll know.”
In his lap, Kel tried to prevent his hands from clenching. He didn’t know which troubled him more, that Fetcher might interfere with the operation or that he was trying to work Desi into a bad position.
Oh, hell, who was he kidding? Paramount was that he didn’t want Fetcher finding a way to damage Desi’s career. Not that he could, really, because WIU had sent him and told him to get close to Desi. She was covered, and that was all he cared about. But Fetcher...the man troubled him. Did he resent Desi? Was he looking for some way to submarine her? Or did he have some other agenda?
One thing
for sure: he no longer wondered about Desi’s decision not to mention the campsite. They both felt something wasn’t right about his assignment, and Fetcher’s questioning had put his teeth on edge, something that didn’t happen often. Gut feeling. He trusted his gut feelings. Something was off.
He watched silently as new patrol routes were laid out by mutual agreement, routes that would insofar as possible keep two wardens close to each other.
“I spoke to the department this morning about all of this,” Desi said as they got ready to separate. “Some biologists and others may be sent this way to pad our operations. I’ll let you know when I get the word.”
“We’ll be okay, boss,” said Lake. He patted his chest. “That’s what the armor’s for.”
Everyone laughed, hands were shaken all around, then the room emptied. Only Gage remained to say briefly, “If you bring in more personnel, be sure to let me know.”
Desi nodded. “Absolutely.” Then she and Kel were alone again.
Kel waited to hear if Desi had any thoughts to share. She was rolling up a map, and gathering a couple of sheets of paper. At last she spoke. “You missed some of the meeting. And I’m sorry I didn’t ask you for your thoughts on how to handle this.”
“You didn’t need me,” he answered truthfully. “You did a great job from what I heard. What’s your read on Fetcher?”
Her head snapped up from the items she was lifting from the table. “Fetcher? You mean because of his questions?”
“Yeah.”
She turned and shoved the rolled map into a narrow cubby of the kind in which blueprints were often kept, also perfect for rolled maps. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I didn’t like it, but Fetcher’s been a warden for a long time. A dedicated man.”
“So you don’t think he might be trying to make trouble for you?”
She turned. “For me?”
He didn’t respond, just waited. He didn’t want an automatic dismissal from her.
“I don’t know,” she said finally. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the older agents resent that I became a senior warden so young, but no one’s ever made an issue of it that I’ve heard about. Nobody’s given me any trouble. As for Fetcher, he’s just kind of gruff and blunt.” She paused. “Did you get a different feeling?”
“You could say that. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise. But I don’t know the man the way you do.”
She dropped back onto her chair, drummed her fingers a few times, then stared at him across the table. “If this setup gets any more troubling, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Meaning?”
“You were sent out here to be a goat. I didn’t like that to begin with, but the longer this has gone on the less I believe that’s really what’s going on. I mean, what kind of plan is that?”
“I wish I’d questioned it at the outset.”
“I just assumed there were things you didn’t tell me because I didn’t need to know. But there weren’t?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Makes me feel like a bit of a fool myself. But, as I keep reminding myself, I was trained to take my orders and deal with whatever exigencies arose. I didn’t get detailed plans. I got an assignment. Do this. The details were mostly left to me. So it never occurred to me to question my orders. Just do it.”
She sighed and closed her eyes briefly. “Don’t feel like a fool, Kel. I didn’t question it either. I assumed everyone knew what they were doing. Now I’m wondering what they’re doing.”
“Same here. But we talked a bit about that, you and I. Something hinky here. That may have caused my reaction to Fetcher.”
She leaned back and her chair creaked. “I’m getting more and more troubled. If they didn’t expect you to draw attention and be able to give them a name to get started with, what the heck are you doing here?”
“If we could figure that out, we’d be getting somewhere. As for Fetcher...”
“As for Fetcher,” she interrupted. “As for Fetcher, it’s possible he checked you out and found out you don’t have a license. Or it could be he heard your name before. We’re not exactly the world’s biggest organization. Maybe he’s just trying to find out what’s going on. The same as we are.”
He’d have liked to believe that, but Fetcher had gotten under his skin and was already becoming an irritant. Like a warning. A lot of things had begun to act on him that way. He wondered if he just needed some sleep to clear his head because Fetcher really hadn’t said all that much. Certainly not enough to accuse him of anything.
More than ever, he felt he needed to watch his back. And Desi’s, too, because she’d certainly gotten tangled up with him.
“I’m getting the sense that we have things happening here on multiple levels,” Desi said.
“How so?”
“Looking for the poachers is one. Not likely to happen swiftly, but still, we need to do it.”
“And the other?”
“Something to do with you,” she said giving him a straight look. “Either someone wanted you out of the way, or someone wanted you exposed. Got any ideas?”
He figured she was right to some extent. But there was another side to that coin. “Or maybe someone wants you exposed. I was thinking you had cover because I was told to fraternize with you, so nobody would suspect you of anything.”
She nodded slowly, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. “But I’m hanging out with an unlicensed outfitter. If no one backs you up...” She drew her finger descriptively across her throat.
Kel didn’t like the anger simmering inside him. He forced himself to speak calmly. “You got anybody upstream that you trust completely? Someone you could question about this?”
“I may, but I want to think about it before I take that risk. I’d rather have some ideas of my own to consider first.”
He could definitely understand that. It would give her something against which to judge the truth of what she was told. Presently he said, “You need some sleep. You said it wouldn’t be safe to head up into the mountains today, so there’s no reason you can’t rest.”
“I should be patrolling.”
He just shook his head. “You shouldn’t be driving. Nor should I. Unless something comes up, call it a day off. We can leave before dawn tomorrow.”
Although, honestly, he was torn. He knew they needed to be rested before they started acting like mountain goats, but he really wanted to get started. He was a man of action, and this assignment which had basically stapled him in place, forcing him to wait for he knew not how long, was irritating him as well as worrying him.
He wanted to charge ahead and do something. But experience had taught him that fatigue and lack of sleep could lead to thoughtless—deadly—mistakes. It was one thing if you had to, another if you had a chance to rest.
At the same time he wanted to take Desi to bed with him, sleep with her, hold her, make love to her. Last night had bordered on revelation for him. He’d never had an experience quite like Desi.
She sighed, and he noticed how tired she looked. Not only lack of sleep, but worry as well.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “I’ll get a call if I’m needed. We should be fresh for tomorrow. That mountain is rugged. But I suppose you’re used to that.”
“Yeah. They hired mountain goats to train us.”
That at least drew a quiet laugh from her. “Guess you’ll have to prove it.”
Upstairs he sat on the couch, unwilling to invite himself into her bed unless she indicated that she’d like that. She surprised him, though, lying on the couch with her head in his lap. A trusting gesture. He couldn’t resist running his fingers through her cap of silky curls.
Her eyes closed, but he could tell she wasn’t sleeping. Eventually he asked, “What are you thinking about?”
“The same thing we both are. None of this is making sense any way I look at it. Did they send you out here to get you out of the way? Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know. But remember there are three other guys who got the same undercover assignment in other parts of the state.”
“Maybe so. Can you be sure?”
He opened his mouth to answer, then realized he couldn’t, not really. “That was my understanding,” he said finally.
“Were you getting close to something in the investigation?”
He was amazed at the way her mind worked, thinking he might have been sidelined because he was close to a discovery of some kind. That would mean that someone up the chain was involved with this stuff. “Dang, Desi.”
“I know. I don’t like thinking this way. But we’re about to go up a remote mountainside to check on a suspicious camp, and it occurs to me we ought to be aware of all possibilities before we go, whether we can prove them or not. Could someone have enough influence in Game and Fish to get certain people sent out on a wild-goose chase? It’s possible. The question is why. Or maybe some idiot really did think this scheme could work.”
He mulled it over while continuing to stroke her hair slowly. “If I was getting too close to something I don’t know it. A lot of us were investigating this ring.”
“Then maybe the person who hatched this plan believed it might work. He might have had help reaching that conclusion. One thing for sure... If anybody wanted to keep an eye on you and the others, they know exactly where you are and what you’re doing now.”
“True.” Passion was beginning to throb in him again, but he swept it ruthlessly aside. She was right. They needed to discuss all the possibilities. “You know, you had more trophy hunting than anyone else over the last few years.”
“I know, and I’m not surprised. We have some really rich migratory routes in these mountains. Lots of animals, and excellent hunting. I’m sure I didn’t stumble over a quarter of it.”
“But you stumbled over enough. So I was sent this way. That would seem to indicate that someone believed that my mere presence might make the ring nervous. Too much to lose.”
