Shadow of Doubt

by Abbie Zanders

  Then, she did exactly that. But sleep didn’t come.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Mad Dog

  Mad Dog’s grip tightened around his phone until the case began to crack. He couldn’t lose Kate, not now.

  He wouldn’t.

  His first instinct was to jump in his truck, head down there, and convince Kate that she had no reason to doubt him. But he couldn’t because he hadn’t been completely honest with her, and it was now biting him on the ass. He needed to fix this.

  He grabbed his coat and set course for the main building instead, seeking out Church and the others and calling an emergency meeting of his own.

  “We have to tell her,” he said after giving them all a brief rundown.

  They were well-trained men, experts in keeping their expressions neutral and their personal opinions to themselves, though he knew them well enough to read their eyes. Cage and Doc were thoughtful and considering the idea objectively. Church was weighing the pros and cons like the leader he was. Smoke and Heff were empathetic but would do whatever was best for the team.

  “I won’t lose her,” he told them. Even if it meant walking away from his brothers and the cause. She was that important. He sincerely hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  “Kate is very loyal to those close to her,” Church said carefully. “She’s not going to take kindly to the fact that we’ve been quietly gathering information about the major players.”

  “Maybe not, but she’s also intelligent and reasonable. She’ll understand when we explain why we’ve been doing it,” Mad Dog countered. “I guarantee she doesn’t know half the shit Freed and his cronies have thrown our way.”

  “Why would she believe us—or you for that matter?” Cage mused, playing devil’s advocate. “They’ve been careful about covering their tracks. It becomes a we said, they said sort of thing, and she’s known them a hell of a lot longer.”

  She might have known them longer, but they didn’t have the powerful, once-in-a-lifetime kind of connection he and Kate had, and that was what he was counting on. However, if he expected Kate to put her trust in him, then he had to put his trust in her.

  “Then, we show her what we do have.”

  Church shook his head almost immediately. “Not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” he protested. “Sam and Sandy—”

  “Were informed on a need-to-know basis because they were directly involved and in danger,” Church finished. “Kate is not.”

  “Someone ran her off the goddamn road!” Mad Dog roared.

  “We don’t know that was intentional,” Heff cautioned quietly.

  “Plus, Sam and Sandy have also made it quite clear whose side they’re on,” Cage pointed out. “It sucks that it comes down to that, but it is what it is.”

  Mad Dog heard and understood what they were saying, but he also believed that if Kate knew more about what was really going on, she would make the right choices. However, if he continued to keep things from her, that seed of distrust would only grow. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “Look, we like Kate,” Doc said sympathetically, “and we want to see you happy, man—we really do—but at the same time, we have to consider what’s best for the team.”

  He nodded. He got it. He really did. But there had to be some compromise.

  “Let me tell her something at least. A show of good faith.”

  Church considered this. “What do you have in mind?”

  Mad Dog had been thinking about that on the way over. “Let me take her into the tunnels. She already knows about them, but I bet she doesn’t know what they’re being used for or how her family’s business is involved. Let her draw her own conclusions.”

  A discussion ensued. Eventually, they agreed—on the condition that he didn’t share anything more until he brought her back to Sanctuary.

  It was a start.

  ~ * ~

  Mad Dog sipped his coffee. He’d been parked in front of Kate’s house for hours, waiting for signs that she was awake. When he saw a light go on downstairs around five a.m., he sent her a text.

  Mad Dog: I need to see you.

  A minute went by. Then, five. Then, ten. Was she ignoring him? Or had she not yet turned on her phone?

  Unwilling to delay another minute, he got out of his truck, went to the front door, and knocked softly. Kate opened the door, looking every bit as tired and wrecked as he was. He guessed that she hadn’t gotten any sleep either.

  “What do you want?” she asked wearily.

  “To show you something.”

  “Show me what?”

  “You wanted to know if there was anything else I hadn’t told you. Well, there is, and I want to show you.”

  “Can’t you just tell me?”

  He shook his head. “No, because I think it’s important for you to see it for yourself.”

  She bit her lip, her expression pensive, and then she sighed and opened the door. “Fine. But I need coffee first.”

  He pulled the thermos from his pocket and held it out to her. Sam, angel that she was, had slipped it to him before he left.

  “Sam’s elixir?” she asked.

  “Yep. Dress in layers. Wear snow boots but bring along something comfortable to walk in.”

  Her brows furrowed. “Where did you say we’re going?”

  “I didn’t. Just trust me, okay?”

  Mad Dog held his breath until she nodded.

  “All right. Wait here. But you’re buying me breakfast, too.”

  “Deal.”

  She took the coffee and disappeared up the stairs. He bided his time in the living room, checking out the framed pictures. There were lots of Kate with her father and with Karyn. Fewer with her mother and younger sister. Given the brief glimpse he’d had into the family dynamics, that wasn’t surprising.

  He sensed Karyn’s presence before he saw her.

  “I might not be a SEAL, but I’m a lawyer in LA. I know about a hundred ways to kill someone and make it look like an accident.”

  Despite the gravity of her words, he couldn’t help but smile. “Good to know.”

  He turned around to find her standing in the doorway, arms crossed, wearing a long, fluffy robe over flannel pajamas similar to the ones he’d seen Kate wearing, and thick socks on her feet.

  “If you hurt Kate, I will hurt you.”

  “Hurting Kate is the last thing in the world I want to do.”

  “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

  He nodded in confirmation. There was no sense in denying it.

  Karyn tilted her head to the side. “You love her, but you don’t trust her?”

  “I trust Kate with my heart and my soul. The rest is not mine alone to share.”

  She considered that for a moment. “Fair enough. But know this: once Kate gives you her heart and soul, she’ll never take them back. She will be your fiercest ally, come hell or high water. Make sure you are one hundred percent certain that’s what you want—and that you are willing to do the same.”

  “I do, and I am.”

  “Good. Then, we understand each other.” She walked away then, leaving him alone to process that.

  Kate reappeared shortly after, dressed in flannel-lined jeans and layers, and then gathered a hat, scarf, and mittens. She slipped her feet into snow boots and threw a pair of sneakers into a backpack along with a few bottled waters and protein bars, like an experienced hiker.

  They exited the house and walked toward his truck. She murmured a thanks when he opened the passenger door for her.

  “Drive-through or diner?” he asked as they pulled away from the curb.

  “Drive-through,” she replied. “It’s faster, and I’d rather get to it sooner than later, if you don’t mind.”

  His gut clenched, as he was unused to Kate’s reluctance to spend time with him even if he couldn’t blame her.

  The first light of dawn was visible as they drove to the nearest fast-food place and ordered breakfast sandwi
ches, which they ate while en route. Kate was more than a little confused when he drove back to her place and parked along the curb.

  “I thought you were going to show me something?”

  “I am. Let’s go.”

  After opening her door, he walked up her driveway, through her backyard, and into the woods, maintaining a relatively slow pace so she could keep up. By the time they reached the Paxton mine entrance, she appeared even more confused but curious, too.

  “Why are we here?”

  “You’ll see.”

  They entered the mine. Everything looked exactly the same as it had weeks earlier. Conversation was at a minimum as he led her back into one of the open branches and kept going. After about an hour, they stopped.

  “This is what you wanted to show me?” she asked, unimpressed, taking a long drink from her bottle of water.

  “No. This is.”

  He turned off the powerful flashlight that had been lighting their path, momentarily plunging them into darkness. Then, he flipped the switch he’d found on one of his earlier explorations and bathed the place in light.

  Kate blinked rapidly, giving her eyes a chance to adjust. When they did, they widened, and her mouth dropped open.

  “What is this?” she asked as she took in the crates of supplies, provisions, and weapons. “Your secret stash?”

  “A secret stash, yes. But not ours.”

  “Then, whose?”

  He didn’t answer. She slowly walked around, peering cautiously into containers. When she drew in a sharp breath, he knew she’d found one of the invoices.

  “This says it was ordered through Handelmann’s,” she said, turning to him, confused.

  He nodded slightly but said nothing. He could see her mind shuffling the pieces of information around, putting them into place.

  “You don’t believe I knew about this, do you?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “My father doesn’t either.”

  Again, he said nothing. How much her father knew about Renninger’s doings was still unclear.

  “He doesn’t,” she insisted. She moved to another crate and pulled the packing slip. Then, another. And another. “These all say they were ordered through Handelmann’s,” she said softly, more to herself than to him. “But who would do this?”

  “Can you think of no one?” he asked quietly. “Someone who has access to the accounts? Someone you trust enough not to question?”

  Her eyes widened and then grew stormy. “Luther.”

  He nodded. “We found his signature on some of the delivery receipts.”

  “But why? What’s all this stuff even for? And what does any of it have to do with you?”

  “Excellent questions, all of them. Come with me back to Sanctuary, so we can answer them.”

  She considered it only for a minute, her expression both hopeful and skeptical. “You sure you trust me enough to do that?”

  “It was never a matter of not trusting you, Kate. It’s a matter of protection.”

  “Whose? Mine or yours?”

  “Both,” he said grimly. “Let’s go.”

  Mad Dog turned the floodlights off and guided her to the far side of the storage area.

  “Wait, we came from that way,” she said, pointing behind them.

  “I know. We’re not going back the way we came.”

  He led her through yet another series of passageways, re-emerging above ground a few miles southeast of Sanctuary property a short while later. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the snowmobile waiting.

  “Climb on.”

  He kept the speed down and the bumps to a minimum as they made their way to the old resort.

  She was even more surprised when she spotted her Jeep parked outside. “My Jeep! You recovered it!”

  “Some friends of ours down in Pine Ridge helped us bring it up yesterday. They towed it to their garage and gave it a thorough once-over.”

  “Does that mean it’s salvageable?”

  “It’s more than salvageable. It’s drivable. Most of the damage is cosmetic. I figured we could get that taken care of later.”

  Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  “Hey now, none of that.”

  “It’s just ...” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I’m just thankful, is all. You didn’t have to do that.”

  The knot in his chest loosened slightly, but the next hour was critical.

  He guided her inside where he hung up their coats, and they divested themselves of hats, gloves, and the like.

  “Come on,” he coaxed. “Everyone’s waiting.”

  “Everyone?”

  “Like I said, this involves more than just me.”

  He led her to the war room where the others had assembled and asked her to sit down. For the first time since he’d met her, Kate looked nervous. She glanced around at the maps, the computers, the tables topped with papers and plans.

  “Would you like some coffee, Kate?” Sam offered.

  “I, uh ... yes, please. Thanks.”

  Sam poured some from one of the nearby carafes into a mug and handed it to her. Kate’s hand shook slightly as she accepted it.

  “Relax, Kate,” he said quietly.

  “I’m trying,” she whispered loudly, “but you guys are kind of intimidating when you’re all looking at me like that.”

  A few people chuckled, himself included. Placing his hand on her back, he rubbed gently. Thankfully, she didn’t pull away.

  “So,” Church began, his deep voice easily audible, “you have questions. Where do you want to start?”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Kate

  They all looked to Kate. She sensed she was being granted a very rare opportunity and realized this was Chris’s doing. She’d expressed her displeasure at the fact that he hadn’t shared information with her, and he’d cared enough to set this up.

  Her heart—and hopes—swelled.

  “I don’t know where to begin,” she said honestly.

  “All right. Then, let’s start with why Mad Dog didn’t tell you about Luther Renninger and what he’s been doing through your store,” Matt Winston said.

  She nodded. “Yes, let’s. If you knew he was being shady, why wouldn’t you tell me?”

  “First of all, technically, there’s nothing illegal about what Luther is doing. He’s placing orders, using access you’ve given him, presumably with your knowledge, prior approval, and permission.”

  “That presumption is wrong,” she said emphatically. “I handle the inventory, and I didn’t know about it, which means none of that stuff was meant to be sold in the store.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” Matt agreed. “It was purchased for a local group of survivalists.”

  “Survivalists ...” she mused, trying to reconcile that with the people she knew. “You mean, the bunch of local guys who built hunting cabins on the mountain so they could spend their weekends bonding over drinking beer and shooting guns?”

  “Yes, but there’s much more to it than that,” Cage said. “These guys are serious preppers.”

  “Preppers?”

  “They’re called that because they’re preparing for an emergency situation,” Sandy said helpfully. “Natural disaster, war—”

  “Doomsday, zombie apocalypse,” Heff added with a grin.

  “They’ve built a series of above-ground barracks for the weekend warriors, but the inner circle is far more earnest. They’re the ones who’ve been secretly shoring up old mine shafts to create underground bunkers and passageways with multiple exit and entry points. That’s where they’re stockpiling stuff like guns, ammunition, fuel, and so on.”

  “Okay,” Kate said slowly, trying to wrap her head around that. “And you’re saying that Luther is in this inner circle?”

  “There’s no doubt of that. Think of him like the treasurer of a secret club, except he’s using his clients’ accounts to finance the club’s acquisitions,” Doc said.

  “If you know this, wh
y aren’t you telling anyone?”

  Several of them exchanged glances.

  “Because we have reason to believe Renninger’s not doing it without their knowledge and consent,” Cage said finally.

  Kate found it difficult to believe her father knew about any of it and said so. They didn’t contradict her, but she could tell by their lack of expression that they didn’t agree with her either.

  “Who else is in this super-secret club?” she asked.

  Matt looked at Chris and nodded somberly, as if giving him permission.

  “Daryl Freed, Jerry Petraski, Mike O’Malley, Joe Eisenheiser ...” Chris rattled off more names she recognized as township supervisors, school board members, and local business owners.

  It was a veritable who’s who of Sumneyville, and many, if not all of them, were good friends with her father.

  After she heard that, it was hard to believe her father wasn’t at least aware of the club’s existence. Whether or not he was a knowing, willing participant was still not a foregone conclusion, however.

  That also explained why Chris had been reluctant to share any of that information with her. If she were looking at it from their point of view, it seemed perfectly plausible that she would be privy as well. Taking that a step further, if she had known and was sympathetic to their cause, then she also might have been tempted to warn them out of a misguided sense of grassroots loyalty.

  But she was still missing a big piece of the puzzle.

  “So, assuming Luther’s using clients’ accounts to procure supplies and whatnot, what does that have to do with you? Why do you care?” She asked the questions but suspected she already knew the answers.

  It wasn’t a coincidence that the names they’d mentioned were also the people openly opposed to Sanctuary.

  “There have been ... incidents,” Matt said carefully.

  “Incidents,” she echoed, thinking about some of the stories she’d heard the ladies telling at the fire hall. “They’re making things difficult for you, aren’t they? Losing paperwork, dragging their feet on zoning, turning public opinion against you.”

  “It’s more than that,” Heff said, looking grimmer than she’d seen him up to that point. “Vandalism, sabotaging our equipment”—his eyes flicked to Sandy—“trying to hurt those important to us.”