Sounded like a plan. He needed the action. He'd stayed close to home for the last week because of Tara, so he was raring to go on the hunt for any signs of the sniper or the two men who'd escaped the assault on Carmela's. Levi, Trey, Ren, and Vanko had taken turns going out on a daily basis, pairing up in teams of two with SSI operative trainees.
The area they'd patrol later this afternoon would be in the general vicinity of where the sniper who'd shot at Tara had set up. His illegal camp had been found later, about a half click away from the shooting site. Other than some cigarette butts and a sloppily built fire ring, there was nothing left behind to lead them to a specific person or persons.
"I smell smoke." Tara slowed the Jeep, then stopped and looked around. "I don't see any other vehicles."
"Neither do I. I smell smoke, too." Price frowned. "Assholes. There are signs all over the roads into the forest and wilderness areas about the burn ban."
"There's always one or two entitled types who don't think the rules are for them. And that's why we patrol. Smells like it's coming from that way." Tara gestured toward the dense forest to the left. She opened her door and grabbed for her citation book.
Price got out and met her at the front of the Jeep.
"Okay, this is my job. So I take the lead." She turned and gave him a cheeky grin. "Since you're my arm candy/backup, you can keep an eye out for anyone sneaking up on me, okay?"
Arm candy/backup? He snorted. More like bodyguard/backup.
"Tara—"
"Yes?"
Price pulled her to him and gave her a quick kiss. "Your arm candy is going to give you a short lead. I'll be close in case things go tits up."
"Got it." She flashed him a smile and took off at a ground-eating pace in the direction of the smoke.
After carefully picking their way through the trees and the thick underbrush and over uneven and often rocky ground, they stopped. Price was glad to see Tara had her hand over her weapon. He'd pulled his as soon as he'd spotted what was in the clearing.
Four men sat around a smoky campfire. They looked as if they'd been living it rough for quite a while. Four small tents were set up off to the side. Under some bushes, Price spotted several boxes. He couldn't read the markings from this distance, but the boxes reminded him of the kind used by the military to store munitions. He'd bet his prized sniper rifle that each man was armed and there was even more firepower in those boxes.
This situation had clusterfuck written all over it. He waited to see what Tara would do.
She turned and angled her head for him to follow her. They headed back along the way they'd come. Once they were far enough away from the men, she hunkered down behind a thick tree. He went to one knee beside her, his every sense on alert for any sound or movement from the direction of the men's camp.
Tara had a grim expression on her face. "This situation reeks. I want to see what's in those boxes."
Thank fuck. They were on the same page.
"Me, too."
"I'm putting out a call for backup. Not that I don't think we could handle them, just being cautious."
Price grunted and nodded.
She pulled her radio and spoke in a low atonal voice. "Base, this is Nightwalker. Need backup off Fire Tower 25 access road. At my vehicle, head west about a quarter mile. Illegal camp site, illegal campfire, and other suspicious activity."
"Roger that. Ranger Parker is not far from you. ETA is ten minutes. Out."
"Roger that. Nightwalker, out."
"Now what?" Price scanned the area for any sign they'd been seen or heard.
"Once I know our backup is closer, I'll hail the camp, walk in, and issue the citations. I'll also let them know someone is coming to escort them to wherever their vehicles are."
"And what if they give you trouble?" Price asked.
"Well, they'd be stupid, because I have you," she gave him a grim smile, "and I intend to keep my hand on my gun at all times."
"Mine will be in my hand," Price said.
"Sounds good to me." She sat down her back against the tree. "Joe will get here quickly. The words 'suspicious activity' are used for drugs and weapons violations. I wouldn't be surprised if more than one unit responds. Joe's just the closest."
Price knew Joe Parker since Joe had assisted Tara with the hotshot training. Parker was a former Army MP and a good man to have on your side.
When Parker signaled he'd arrived at Tara's vehicle, Price and Tara headed back to the clearing.
"Heads up in the camp," Tara shouted in a tone similar to a drill sergeant. "I'm Ranger Tara Nightwalker and I'm coming in."
Following her into the clearing, Price stopped less than six feet behind her. He was close enough to take out any of the four men out if they so much as made an aggressive move toward her. He made sure he was in their line of sight and that they could see the gun in his hand.
Tara ignored him. "Sorry to spoil your camping, gentlemen. But a burn ban is in effect. There is no camping and no fires outside of established camping areas. I'm going to have to write you a citation."
There would be a lot to cite. The men were either fucking assholes or rank amateurs at camping on federally protected lands. From what he could see, they'd violated most of the rules for "leave no trace" and camping safety in a wilderness: they were too close to the stream; they'd altered the area in which they'd camped; their campsite was too close to combustible vegetation; they'd cut limbs for firewood rather than using deadfalls; and they hadn't used a firepan or created a mound fire to protect the natural habitat. And that was all on top of violating the burn ban.
Their poor camping habits aside, the four men's biggest crime was the way they'd eyed Tara before spotting Price. All four had a lean and hungry look in their eyes. Price wanted to shoot them for that alone.
Now, the men looked bored and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. Whatever it was raised the hairs on his neck. He flicked off the safety on his gun, just in case.
"IDs," Tara said, holding out her free hand while she kept the other palm on the butt of her weapon.
The men grumbled but complied, shooting Price glances as she wrote down their information.
"We didn't see any vehicles parked back on the fire road," Tara said. "How'd you get here?"
"Hiked in from the highway," the guy who seemed to be the leader muttered, still looking pissed.
"Here you are, Mr. Madden." Tara handed him the citations she'd written, then pointed to the stream and the fire. "Put out the fire and pack up. Ranger Parker will be here soon to take you back to your vehicles."
They'd still be here for a while even after Parker arrived. No one was leaving until that fire was out, and the ash was drowned and dispersed until there were no embers to get blown into all the dry foliage that surrounded the area.
Two of the four men carried pans to the stream. The other two just stood, Madden keeping an eye on Tara, the other keeping an eye on Price. That raised Price's hackles to high alert. They were planning something, but what?
Tara turned and began to walk toward Price. Madden's gaze went to her ass. He grinned, nastily, then said something to her in a low tone that Price couldn't catch. Tara stopped, anger in every line of her body. She turned and stared at the man, her hand over her sidearm. Price had seen her draw before and knew she could have her weapon out, safety off, aimed, and fired in less than three seconds.
"Fuck this." Price cut the distance until he stood next to Tara. She practically vibrated, but she was controlling her anger and not letting it control her.
"What the fuck did he say?" He glared at Madden. The other two who'd gone to the stream had come back to join their buddies. The fire was ignored, for now.
"Forget I said anything," Madden said. "We don't want any trouble. We'll just pack up and leave."
"No, Mr. Madden, you and your friends will wait for a ranger escort. And no one is leaving until that fire is out."
The four grumbled, but two went back to pouring wat
er on the fire and stirring the embers, while the other two began to pack up their tents.
"Yo, Tara. Heads up. We're heading in."
The voice was definitely not Parker's unless he'd undergone a sex change in the couple of weeks since Price had seen him last. Also, the very feminine voice was one Price recognized. He mentally groaned. What were the odds?
Ranger Sally Yates was a woman he'd dated a year or so ago. Nothing serious. Just a hook up on both sides.
"What's going on, Tara?" Sally asked as she approached, her hand over her sidearm. "Hey, Price, didn't expect to see you here. I heard you and Tara were an item now. Happy for you both."
From his peripheral vision he caught the side eye Tara shot him, and he knew they'd be discussing his very brief fling with the attractive blonde ranger later, once they were alone.
"Hey, Sally, thanks for responding so quickly." Tara then nodded at Parker who followed Sally into the clearing. "Hey, Joe."
Parker nodded, but like Price his gaze never left the men who seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time to pack their personal belongings.
"These four hiked in from the state highway," Tara explained to her fellow rangers. "Could you take them back to their vehicle?"
"You write the citations already?" Parker asked as he looked around the clearing with a studied eye. "Looks like a hefty fine." He frowned at the men. "Didn't they see the burn bans posted all over the damn place?"
"Obviously not." Tara frowned. "They have the citations. I've noted their driver's license information. So, they're good to go." She shook her head as she looked around the piss-poor campsite. "They're just lucky there was no wind today."
"We're really sorry about that. We appreciate the ride back to our vehicle," Madden said.
Price still wanted to know what Madden had said to Tara.
Parker nodded, then his eyes narrowed. "What happened right before we arrived, Tara? You had your hand on your weapon. Teague had his out."
Thank God, Parker asked so Price wouldn't have to. He bet Parker's gut was telling him something was wrong with these four.
Price's attention was now split between waiting for Tara to answer Parker and watching Madden linger over his pack, feeling around in it. "Pull your hand out of that pack or I'll blow it off."
Price aimed his gun at the man's wrist.
"And if he misses, I won't." Joe aimed for the man's arm.
"I won't miss," Price said.
Joe just snorted, his lips twisted in a grin.
"Mr. Madden seems to think I'm a ball-busting cunt." Tara had her gun out also, but she aimed for one of the other men who was also fumbling in his pack. "That was after, I'd turned down his so-gracious invitation to meet him later. Alone."
Parker walked toward Madden. "I'd like to see in those packs. All of you back away from your belongings."
"It's private, man," Madden snarled. "Don't you need a search warrant or something?"
"Let's call it exigent circumstances," Tara said as she covered Parker.
The former Army MP grinned. "Just what I was thinking." He looked at the group's leader. "You've broken multiple federal rules and regulations. There's been a lot of drug activity in the park lately, so we're just gonna make sure you aren't also violating the laws concerning drug activity on federal lands."
"Price and I are covering you, Joe," Tara said.
Sally was over by the boxes. She lifted a lid off one of the boxes and took something from the box, then moved into the small clearing. Her gun in her dominant hand was pointed at the four men. "I've got you covered also, Joe. I'm also calling for more backup since I found explosives." She held up what Price recognized as a brick of C-4.
"Fuck, boys, you are in big-ass trouble." Joe picked up Madden's pack. It was a big one, the kind with a metal frame for long hikes and camping in the rough.
After Joe looked inside, he cursed and got an ugly look on his face. "Price, you're gonna want to see this." The ranger pulled out an assault rifle. "We can add illegal weapons' charges onto the illegal explosive charges."
The situation had just gone from dumb-ass camping to something much more dangerous.
Sally used her radio and put in the request for more backup, then she kept her weapon on the four men.
Parker piled the backpacks behind Tara and Price, then handed Price a piece of paper he'd pulled out of Madden's pack.
Glancing at the paper, hellfire, burning icy hot, swept over him. It was a flyer with pictures of Tara and Fee, and a reward offered for proof of death. $100,000.
"Mother-fucking son of a bitch." Price glared at the men. "You'd better hope you go to prison." He left the rest of his threat unvoiced. He figured his expression said it all.
The only one not shaking in his hiking boots was Madden.
"Check out the fire power," Sally called out.
After Parker joined Price and Tara in guarding the men, Sally had gone back to the boxes. She now held up what Price recognized as a sniper rifle case and then another assault rifle.
"There's lots of ammo and even more rifles and handguns in these boxes," Sally informed them.
Price growled. "We need to frisk them for other weapons."
"Like minds, buddy." Parker looked at Sally and Tara. "You got us covered?"
Sally nodded.
Tara said, "They so much as twitch I'll shoot. And I'm aiming for their balls, because they won't need them in prison. Or at least that's what I've heard."
The four didn't move. Hell, Price wasn't even sure they were breathing. Threatening a man's junk was very effective.
Price and Parker stood behind the men and frisked them. Each man had a hold-out gun strapped under their pants just above their hiking boots and one knife apiece. Parker handed Price some zip-ties and they bound the men's hands behind their backs.
When Price came back to stand by Tara, he muttered, "I don't believe in coincidence."
"What coincidence?" Tara asked.
"First, the sniper attack, then your house is blown up, and finally the attack at Carmela's. Now we find these guys illegally camping in a remote area, not too far from Sanctuary or Elk City. They've got a paper offering money to kill you and Fee and enough fire power, ammo, and explosives to do some serious damage." He eyed each man, only Madden met his glare. "This is my woman you were looking to kill. And Fee is my sister."
God, if he hadn't been with her, she could very well have been dead by now, probably after the assholes had used her first.
Rage roiled in his stomach, but he controlled it. He wanted information from these bastards, then he wanted to beat the shit out of them.
"If I were you four, I'd be thinking about sharing all you know about the dead-man-walking who created that piece-of-shit flyer. Got me?" Price said.
"We don't know nothing," Madden replied.
"You don't lie well." Price glared at each man and singled out the one who looked like he was going to toss his cookies. "Where'd you get the flyer?"
"Off a site on the Dark Net," Sacred Shit-less answered readily. "But that's all I know."
"Shut up, Clancy," snarled Madden.
"Sounds like Clancy is the only smart one among you slugs," Parker chimed in. "'Cause I'm betting all those weapons we've just confiscated are black market illegal and connected to other crimes. And if Price is right, and any of you have been taking pot shots at my fellow ranger and the innocent civilians with her at the time of said shootings, then y'all are screwed—as in federal penitentiary screwed—for the rest of your lives."
"If you make it that far," muttered Price, loudly enough for the four to hear. "Me and my friends don't like rank amateurs shooting at us and our women."
"We ain't amateurs," shouted Clancy. "We're mercenaries."
Price looked at Parker who rolled his eyes.
Madden turned and kicked Clancy in the ass. A shot rang out, hitting the ground right in front of Madden's feet.
"What about 'don't move,' don't you understand?" Tara said.
"That was your one and only warning. My next shot will be your balls. Now don't test me, boy."
Boy? God, he loved her so much right now.
"No warnings here. I'm aiming straight for his tiny balls," Sally said.
Using his SSI sat phone, Price hit Tweeter's direct dial number and placed his phone next to his ear as he kept Madden in his sights. "Tweeter, someone has posted a reward to kill Tara and Fee on the Dark Net. We've got four morons here who decided to make an attempt at collecting it. Do your thing and track the fucker behind the posting. Yeah, and could you give a call to Dan and tell him we may have a lead on who was behind the shootings of late and the explosion at Tara's cabin? We have some weapons that ballistics needs to look at and compare to evidence already collected. The rangers will be taking the men and the evidence to—" He looked at Parker.
"Elk City station. We have a lockup in the basement," Parker supplied.
"Tell Dan the Elk City Ranger Station. No, not coming in yet. I'll catch Dan later. Thanks, man. You and Keely have fun in cyberspace."
Price swiped the call off with his thumb.
While Price and Tara guarded the four men, Parker and Sally made sure the fire was out and began taking pictures and inventorying the contents of the boxes and the men's tents and backpacks.
Finally, several sirens sounded in the distance.
The sirens stopped. Soon the rangers who'd take the men into custody entered the clearing. As the newly arrived rangers led the four away, Price, Tara, Sally, and Parker began ferrying the photographed and inventoried evidence to their vehicles for transport to the ranger station.
After the last bit of evidence was stowed, Price leaned against Tara's vehicle with her as close to him as he could get her. He noted that Sally hugged Parker's side. Good. Parker was a stand-up guy and Sally would do well with him.
"Well." Tara blew out a breath. "If you hadn't been with me—"
"Yeah," Price nudged her with his shoulder, "you would've taken a few of them out, maybe hurt the others, but—"
"I'm not at one hundred percent, physically." She sighed. "So, I would've been dead. Two I could handle…easily. Four, even four merc wanna-bes, they'd have had me."
Firestorm (Security Specialists International Book 6) Page 21
