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Maybe it would be better if they all stayed in the farmhouse and kept safe. If these people wanted Cyril, they could have it.

But she didn’t say it aloud.

Knox and Ford were military men. They’d joined the army to help make the world safer. That was ingrained in both their souls.

She and Thea both wanted to make the world better, too, but they’d chosen a far different route from the men.

If there was a possibility that some criminal element was involved with Cyril, Ford and Knox wanted to intervene. Even if it would be safer to just let them take the cylinder.

Once the four of them arrived at the pond, they packed up their equipment from earlier in the day. Daylight lasted longer these days, but dusk was coming. “Why don’t I just grab my snorkeling gear and go get Cyril now?”

Ford shook his head. “It’s not safe to go down at night, especially alone.”

“It’s not dark yet.”

“But it’s getting there. And we don’t have your equipment. We’ll bring it down first thing in the morning. Then I’ll dive in and get it.”

“My wetsuit won’t fit you. I’ll go.”

He sighed. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

Which meant he’d try to talk her out of it. Not a chance. Not when she wasn’t sure the water was clean enough for him to dive without a suit. “I should have just dived in when I found it. That would have saved us all this trouble.”

He tugged her to a stop and brushed his hand over her cheek. “Your reasons for not doing it then are still valid. If Cyril is leaking anything, it’s not good to go down there at all. Even with snorkeling gear, it’s probably going to take more than one trip to get it out.”

“I wish there was a nearby place to fill my scuba tanks. That would make it all easier.”

He hugged her. “We’ll get it figured out.”

“Do you really think some criminal tossed Cyril in the pond to hide some evidence?”

He shrugged. “I think it’s a strong possibility. This is a remote pond that’s not easily accessible by roads. It’s on a farm that hasn’t been operational in a decade or more. If someone is hiding things and waiting for the police to lose interest, this is a good spot.”

“It would have been easier to hide it in the woods.”

“Sure, but it would have been easier for it to be found by someone else, too. There was almost zero chance of it being found in the pond.”

“Until I came along.”

He kissed her forehead. “Until Jay left you all the farm, and you followed Thea’s lead and make it healthier and more productive.”

She hugged him back, and they moved to join the others. “I just wish they’d retrieved Cyril before we got here.”

He squeezed her hand. “That would have been easier. But this way, there’s a chance that we can take down some criminals.”

She frowned at him. “You sound almost excited by that.”

He grinned. “Hard not to be. Taking the bad guys out of commission is a rush.”

Men. She’d never truly understand them. Her brothers would all feel the same. Fox, too. She preferred her corner of the world to be peaceful.

The four of them put away the canoe and equipment they’d been using earlier. Lorraine’s arrival with Hemsworth meant they hadn’t finished any of their tasks. Which gave them a good excuse to have all four of them here.

Hemsworth roamed the area, but never left their sight. He sniffed at everything and didn’t put up any signals he found anything disturbing. Fox showed up for a while and the two dogs went through their sniffing routine, and then each did their own thing. Friendly but not yet friends.

When the light dimmed, Jolie called Hemsworth over. He bounced over with a grin and wagging tail. She pointed at the ducks. “Hemsworth. Cast.”

They’d moved the Quack Mobile to a new position for the night and filled the water bowl. When the dog had the birds grouped, she walked to the coop and pointed. She wasn’t sure what other words to use, so she pointed to the open coop door. “Hemsworth, in the coop.”