“Is there anything for him to find?” Church asked.
After their impromptu and unsanctioned op to rescue Sam from a deranged admirer, the Callaghans had helped them cover their tracks.
“Nothing to connect any of you to Cavatelli, no. But Petraski’s original reports are still on record, and anyone with half a brain who takes the time to look is going to know they’re bullshit. If word gets back to Petraski that the files are being opened again, he’s not going to be happy. The last thing he or Freed wants is more spotlights shining into their dark cracks.”
“Which means,” Sean said, looking directly at Cage, “that your reporter needs to watch her six. Or better yet, you should cover it for her.”
“Hard to do when she’s three thousand miles away, man.”
Ian laughed. “Yeah, it would be, if she were.”
“Her flight left a couple hours ago.”
“Her flight might have left, but she didn’t. She’s holed up in a motel thirty miles south of here.”
Cage narrowed his eyes. “And you know this how?”
“Because after Nicki shared what she found, I did a bit of research myself. Your woman’s been racking up charges to access Dwayne Freed’s criminal records among other things. From there, it was just a simple series of IP back traces to the unsecured public motel Wi-Fi.”
“You’re really scary, you know that?” Sam half-whispered, earning a round of chuckles.
Ian looked directly at Cage and smirked. “Oakport Motor Lodge. Room 204. And you’re welcome.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Bree
Bree’s stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything but a handful of Squirrel Nut Zippers from her big score in hours. After stretching out the kinks from sitting in front of a screen all day, Bree ran a brush through her hair and walked to the family restaurant on the other side of the lot.
She no longer had one story knocking around in her head, but several. There was her original assignment, of course—Sanctuary and their mission. That was the easiest. She had interviews and images and her personal observations. She could write that piece in her sleep.
The incidental spin-offs were a different story and far more interesting. Like the series of fires that had plagued the mountain valley community. Or the cop with dubious familial connections and a hidden agenda. Hell, she could write an entire cozy mystery series based on Sumneyville and its people.
She could picture it so clearly. Sitting in a remote cabin, pecking away at the keyboard, weaving small-town intrigue and romance with an entire cast of characters—some loved, some not so loved, and ...
Bree shook her head and took a few deep breaths. She’d been sitting too long. She was a journalist, not a fiction writer. She wrote real stories about real people.
The rain had stopped at some point, the air cooler and drier than it had been over the past week.
She was shown to one of the two-person tables along the wall and left with a menu. None of the daily specials were particularly appealing. What she really craved was one of the delicious chicken and veggie mountain pies she and Nick had made over the fire.
She sighed and ordered the closest thing—a grilled chicken stir-fry with seasonal vegetables. When the waitress brought a tiny loaf of bread with her iced tea, Bree thought longingly of the crusty bread and homemade herb-and-garlic oil dip at Franco’s.
What is wrong with you, Bree? If you’re not pining over Nick, you’re obsessing over food.
Well, they were both hungers.
After a mediocre meal that satisfied her empty stomach but not her cravings, Bree was feeling restless. With no desire to return to her room yet, she opted for a drive instead.
Unsurprisingly, she found herself back in Sumneyville, cruising Main Street. It was the only place familiar to her in the area. No one gave her a second look in her nondescript silver rental. She cruised past the park, now completely devoid of stands and animals. Past Franco’s and the library and Martha’s house and the fire hall.
Then, she was turning up the mountain road, wishing she still had the convertible.
She drove past the entrance to Sanctuary, the urge to pull in almost overwhelming. She resisted. She hadn’t heard from Nick since the night before. No calls, no texts. Nothing.
Not far beyond Sanctuary was a sign for Danny’s Happy Trails Ranch. She wondered if that was the place that had partnered with Sanctuary and had provided the horses for her field trip. Bree smiled when she thought of Peaches and Herb and how nice it had been to explore the mountain trails on horseback with Nick by her side.
She continued up the mountain, and up, until she was at the very top, where she turned into the parking lot of the Sky Top Restaurant and Bar. She took a moment to stop and enjoy the view, a scenic overlook of the entire valley lit up below. Colored in deep blues, greens, and purples, it was truly stunning. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like awash in the vivid colors of autumn. Or covered in a blanket of sparkling white around the holidays.
That was one of things she missed most about the northeast—the drastic change in seasons. When she looked out her sliding glass doors in her apartment in SoCal, the view was always the same regardless of the time of year.
When darkness fell in earnest, she got back in the rental and drove down the mountain. Once again, she had to fight the urge to turn into Sanctuary and seek out Nick. To tell him that she was sorry she’d doubted him. That she was convinced some Sumneyville locals were determined to paint him and the others in a bad light for some still-unknown reason.
Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Not on her watch. She just needed to dig deeper, and that meant more research.
As Bree was driving through town, she spotted two men in front of O’Malley’s Bar, heading to the adjacent lot. That in itself wasn’t unusual; it seemed like a popular place among the locals, even on weeknights. What did strike her as odd was that the men were dressed all in black—black pants, long-sleeved black shirts, black shoes, black skull caps.
One of them looked her way as she drove by, and that was when she realized why he looked familiar. It was Lenny Petraski.
Bree continued past the bar, then circled the block, and pulled up to the curb, parallel parking about half a block down and across the street from O’Malley’s. Before long, a dark pickup exited the lot with Lenny at the wheel.
Bree ducked down as the truck passed, and then on impulse, she turned the car around and followed the truck as it made its way up the mountain road she’d just come down. She didn’t allow herself to think about what she was doing. She trusted her instincts, and at that moment, they were telling her that tailing Lenny might provide valuable insight into his motivation for lying.
She was careful to stay far enough behind the truck to avoid arousing suspicion. When the truck turned off the main road onto what looked like an access road, Bree kept going, and then she pulled off to the shoulder and considered her options.
She knew what she should do. She should turn around and head to her motel. Alternately, she could wait until they emerged and see where they went.
Bree had never been particularly good at doing what she should do. And this was a chance to prove she had what it took to get the juicy assignments. Who knew when she’d get another opportunity?
So, with her heart in her throat and her stomach filled with butterflies, Bree did what any good journalist would do. She turned off the car, got out, and started making her way down the access road on foot.
Chapter Forty
Cage
Cage had been set to take one of the vehicles and drive down to Oakport the moment Ian told him where she was. Then, Church invited them all to stay for dinner and offered Sean and Nicki a tour. By the time they left, it was growing dark, and Cage was rethinking his plan.
Bree hadn’t bothered to let him know that she was still in town, which meant she probably didn’t want him to know. If he just showed up at the motel, she’d want to k
now how he’d known where to find her. Exactly how would he explain that?
No, the best thing he could do would be to keep an eye on her without her knowing, just like he had the first day he met her—when he climbed up on the ridge while she waited for a tow. Then, if the opportunity presented itself, their paths could cross accidentally on purpose, and he could take it from there.
He was thinking about how to do that when one of the perimeter alarms went off. He sent off a text to Church.
“What’ve we got?” Church asked a short while later, joining Cage in the war room.
“Someone’s breached the perimeter near the southwest access road,” Cage answered.
He tapped a few keys and adjusted the camera angles, focusing on the big black pickup. Two men, one of them Lenny Petraski, moved to the back of the bed and pulled out two crates from beneath the cover. The other guy wasn’t as easily identifiable. His black hoodie was pulled up, concealing any distinguishing features in shadow.
“Good thing you got those cameras up when you did. Looks like ammo,” Church said, taking a seat beside Cage and peering at the screen.
“Makes sense. Assault weapons aren’t much good without ammo.”
“You’re recording this, right?”
“Every second.”
“Good,” Church said, nodding. “It’s harder to deny something when you’re caught on camera, doing it.”
Another image came to life, the camera inside the entrance activated by Lenny’s and his friend’s movement into the chamber. It showed them stacking the boxes beside the others already there.
“Want to listen in too?” Cage removed the wireless earbud and switched over to speaker mode.
“You sure this place is secure?” the other guy said as Lenny swung the beam of his flashlight around, giving the place a once-over.
Then, Lenny turned the beam right into the face of his companion.
“That’s David Yocum,” Church said.
“The National Guard guy from Sam’s apartment building before she moved up here?”
“One and the same.”
“Guess he’s gone over to the dark side, sir,” Cage quipped.
Church’s lips quirked. From what Doc had told them about the night Sam’s apartment had caught fire, David Yocum had looked at Church like a teenage girl backstage at a boy band concert, snapping to attention and calling him sir. They’d been ribbing Church about it ever since.
“Yeah, it’s secure,” Lenny replied to Yocum. “It used to belong to Dwayne’s grandfather.”
“Used to?”
“He sold it to some guy in New York, like, fifty years ago or something. Probably forgot about it, if he’s even still alive.”
“Looks like someone’s operating on outdated intel,” Cage commented to Church with a smile. “Good to know we called that one right.”
“Who else knows about this place?” asked Yocum. He looked nervous, his gaze going from left to right as they went back to the truck.
“Nobody. Jesus, will you relax? I said it’s secure, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but what about Luther? Isn’t he going to be pissed when he finds out we’ve been skimming inventory off the top?”
“Fuck Luther, man. The guy’s an idiot, and he’s become a liability. Besides, he’s got his hands full, trying to keep the IRS off his ass and Kylie Handelmann’s dad from shooting his balls off for knocking her up. He’s not going to notice if a few crates go missing. He’ll just assume he fucked up.”
A second monitor started blinking in the war room, indicating another perimeter breach.
“Looks like we’ve got more guests coming to the party,” Cage said, turning his attention to the other screen. “Only this one’s on foot. Oh shit.”
“Is that Bree De Rossi?” Church asked in disbelief, but Cage was already on his way out the door.
Chapter Forty-One
Bree
Bree was careful about where she stepped, glad for the clear sky and shafts of silvery moonlight reaching the ground. By keeping to the tracks of flattened grass and brush made by the truck, she moved with near silence down the access road. The raucous symphony of nocturnal creatures took care of camouflaging her footsteps and the thundering beat of her heart.
She tried not to think about what creatures were making those noises because if she did, she would also have to think about what might be lurking in the shadows, and that would make her lose her nerve. In Nick’s arms, those noises had lulled her into a peaceful slumber. Now, traipsing alone in the dark on the side of a mountain, they were terrifying.
She slowed to a snail’s pace when she heard human voices and then ducked behind a tree. Peeking around the side, she was able to make out the dark truck parked just ahead. The vehicle’s headlights illuminated what looked like a slab of rock covered in weeds. Then, Lenny and the other guy appeared to step out of the rock, and she realized it was a cave of some sort.
She crept closer, hoping to get a better look. The two men went to the back of the truck and pulled out a large wooden crate, though there were no markings to indicate what was in it. She knew it was heavy by the muted grunts they made lifting it off the tailgate. Her hand reached into her pocket and wrapped around her phone, itching to snap a few pictures. Fearing the light from the screen would give her away, she decided to wait until they went inside again. Then, she’d sneak out and see if there were any more in the truck.
Without warning, a hand was placed over her mouth, and she was suddenly pulled back against a hard male chest. Bree tried to scream, but the strong arms tightened around her.
“Hush.” The word was less than a whisper, but it was enough to get her to focus. The voice was familiar, as was the scent of evergreen and sandalwood.
Nick!
“Did you hear something?” Lenny’s friend asked.
Both men stopped what they were doing and listened intently. Bree was certain her heart was pounding loud enough to be heard. Nick’s firm embrace kept her absolutely still.
After several interminably long moments, Lenny pointed his flashlight toward a fallen log to her right. Bree tensed when she saw the biggest rat she’d ever seen peering out with glowing eyes before disappearing back under the log.
“It’s just a possum,” Lenny said. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Sorry, Len. I’m just a little on edge, you know? We’re not far from Sanctuary, and after what those guys did to Dwayne ...”
Lenny let out a string of curses. “They’re going to pay for that.”
“How?”
“You’ll see. Now, come on. We’re done here.”
Nick soundlessly pulled her farther into the shadows as Lenny and the other guy got into the truck and started backing down the access road. Only once the sound of the engine faded away completely and they were plunged back into darkness did Nick loosen his grip.
Instead of letting go, he turned her around to face him. In the moonlight, she could see the sculpted lines of his face, all hard angles and pissed off SEAL.
“What the fuck are you doing out here, Bree?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, his lips crashed down hard on hers. It was potent and powerful, by far one of the most desperate kisses she’d ever experienced. Her fingers curled into his biceps.
By the time he pulled away, she felt dizzy. “I ...”
“No, don’t. Not until you’re somewhere safe and I calm down.”
He grabbed her hand and tugged, leading her through the woods.
“My car,” she said weakly.
“Where is it?”
“On the side of the road, just above the turnoff.”
He cursed under his breath and then said, “Copy that.”
“Copy what?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Cage
Cage couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so angry—or when he’d felt such fear. He willed his thundering hear
t to slow. Bree was safe. Bree was with him.
Thankfully, she was also being quiet and cooperative. Was she scared? Pissed? Embarrassed? He didn’t know. At that moment, he didn’t particularly care. She’d put herself in danger, and for what? A goddamn scoop?
When they hit the trail, Smoke was waiting for them with the Jeep. Without a word, Cage ushered Bree into the vehicle, and they drove back to Sanctuary in silence. They pulled up to the main building just as Doc pulled in with Bree’s rental. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw him.
Cage jumped out of the Jeep and then opened the door for her.
She looked pale but had regained some of her composure. “Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on around here?”
“Inside, please,” he said.
She huffed but turned and made her way up the steps into the building. Once inside, Cage took her arm and led her to the dining room with Smoke and Doc bringing up the rear. The others were already gathered there.
“Welcome back, Miss De Rossi,” Church said, his tone polite. “Please, sit down.”
Bree looked around at their somber faces and then dutifully sat down.
Kate pushed a mug toward her, her smile sympathetic and warm. “It’s herbal tea. You look like you could use it.”
“Thanks.”
Church nodded, indicating that Cage should take the floor first.
“Want to tell us what you were doing out there tonight?” he asked. “I thought you were on your way back to California.”
“Something came up,” she said, lifting her chin slightly.
Even as upset as he was, he appreciated her little show of defiance.
“Must have been pretty important for you to miss your flight.”
“It was.” She brought the mug to her lips and sipped.
She appeared to be cool and calm, but he could still feel her nails digging into his skin, her body shaking in his arms. For those few minutes, she’d been terrified—and with good reason. There was no telling what Petraski would have done had he discovered her out there, skulking around.
Nick UnCaged: Sanctuary, Book Four Page 19
