Page 18 of A Mile of Ocean (Pelican Pointe #19)

T he acrid scent of smoke mixed with the metallic tang of explosives hung heavily in the air as Trent and Savannah arrived in one of the water trucks. The fire was still burning, and since the location was remote, the fire department would take another twenty minutes to get there.

Trent got as close as he could to the burning structure with the hose, spraying water on as much surface as he could reach to prevent the flames from spreading to the dry scrub around the area. Blake and Lincoln pitched in where they could, using horse blankets to smother the flames they could reach.

But after the water ran out, Trent shouted, “Just let it burn itself out. Everyone needs to back up, though, in case there’s another explosion.”

Tate stood at a distance, her gaze transfixed on the destruction. The adrenaline that had coursed through her veins moments before now gave way to a deep sense of unease. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over, that there were still pieces of the puzzle they hadn’t uncovered.

As if reading her mind, Trent surveyed the scene. “Who was this guy? What drove him to such drastic measures?”

“Good question,” Tate muttered, still in shock. “We need to find out who he was and what connection he had to the ranch. Do you think he’s dead?”

“Birk and Beckett certainly don’t believe it. They wouldn’t leave the house unguarded. They want proof that he’s dead first.”

“I can’t say that I blame them. You don’t think he was in there?”

“Nope. I don’t. Let me ask you something. How far along is the genealogy project?”

“I understood from Eastlyn that Cooper finished with the Callum side and has now started with the de Havilands. Why?”

“Have him speed it up and focus on the de Haviland side of the family.”

Tate frowned at him. “Is this a gut instinct or something else?”

“After getting a look inside his little notebook, let’s just say I’m more curious about why he left Duchess alive. Twice. If he hates her as much as indicated, why hasn’t he focused on getting to her?”

Tate took out her phone. “I’ll text Eastlyn for an update on where Cooper stands.”

Savannah stood back with several other team members who had shown up from the other patrols, watching the fire burn. The fire crackled and hissed, creating flickering shadows on their faces. “I can’t believe we were just in there less than two hours ago.”

“He was probably nearby then,” Lucien speculated.

“Probably. It felt like we were being watched,” Trent added. “Why didn’t he make a move on us, though?”

They heard sirens in the distance, getting closer. Law enforcement arrived behind the fire trucks. Firemen had the blaze out in a matter of minutes without any more explosions.

“We can’t get too close yet,” Trish cautioned as she updated Brent Cody. “But according to Tate Callum and Blake Hudson, witnesses who were out here at the time, our main suspect was inside the shack when the explosion occurred. But several others believe he’s still alive. Maybe he somehow managed to escape. It’s too soon to know yet.”

“We need a body before making any conclusions,” Brent stated. “How did we miss the explosives in there?”

“That shack is out of range of the monitors,” Trish explained. “See all that tall scrub surrounding the area? That helped cover it up during the first ground search.”

“If you’re trying to justify how we didn’t find the shack, we did. We searched this area. There was nothing in that shack at the time. He probably found this place after we discovered his campsite and has been staying here ever since.”

“I don’t know, Chief,” Trish countered. “He’s probably been here longer than that. He dropped his notebook with a very detailed layout of the ranch. After going through it with Trent, we found it contained lots of information about everyone on the ranch, especially Mr. and Mrs. Callum.”

“As if he wanted to know as much as he could before that Friday night when he made his move,” Colt prompted.

“Did you get that notebook to forensics?” Brent wanted to know.

“Eastlyn dropped it off fifteen minutes ago and told them to rush the results,” Theo answered. “But we won’t get anything for hours yet.”

The fire captain carefully navigated the debris, bending down to inspect the charred remnants. He motioned for Brent to approach. “There’s no question this is the result of homemade pipe bombs exploding. There are residual traces of gunpowder all over the place. I’d say whoever did this has experience with explosives.”

Trent stood a few feet away, listening to the fire captain’s analysis. Maybe it was someone with military experience. It made sense. Whoever their suspect was, he wasn’t just some amateur playing with explosives. This was a calculated attack, planned meticulously to cause chaos and destruction. But why target the ranch? What vendetta did this man hold against the Callum family?

“What are you thinking?” Brent said, pivoting toward Trent.

“He blew up an old shack on purpose to make us think he’s dead. But he’s not. He’s still out there. You won’t find human remains here.”

“I can see how you’d think that,” Brent stated. “But forensics still has to come in here after the fire department and sift through this mess. It may take days to get an answer. If he wants us to think he’s dead, then he should probably lay low during that time. Maybe we’ll get lucky and ID this guy from the notebook.”

“The problem is, what else is he planning?” Tate interjected, her voice edged with concern. “If he’s gone to this extreme already, who knows what he’s capable of next?”

Trent nodded in agreement. “We can’t afford to underestimate him. We need to stay vigilant and be prepared for whatever comes next. And whatever comes next has to be the grand finale.”

Tate traded looks with her brother. “He didn’t blow up anything important like the main house because whatever he wants is inside.”

“That makes sense,” Savannah said. “If only you could figure out what he wants before the grand finale.”

“We can’t do that standing around here,” Trent noted.

As the team continued to survey the aftermath of the explosion, the realization that their suspect might still be at large loomed over everything.

The first orange hues of dawn appeared over the horizon as Trent and his crew headed back to Base Camp. After a night when he had chosen to keep up the patrols, Beckett met him in the entryway. “I talked it over with Kelly. Birk and I plan to stay for as long as you need us. I’ve talked to Lucien and Brogan. They want to stay as long as you need them.”

“He isn’t dead,” Birk surmised from the end of the hallway. “It’s a ploy to have us let down our guard.”

“Maybe the next twenty-four hours is the right time to implement the disappearing act where we make it look like everyone leaves,” Trent suggested. “Let’s turn the tables on him. Let’s make him think he’s won. We pick a time of our choosing. After we’ve all gotten some rest, that is.”

“We should work on the details and the timing, making sure it goes off without a hitch,” Birk said. “That could take twenty-four hours.”

“Agreed,” Trent nodded. “We’ll iron out the rough parts. For example, we’ll send Woody instead of sending Toby into town. You’ll all leave the ranch and meet him at a designated place somewhere in town, someplace where no one could see you hide in the truck or trailer and head back.”

“I know the perfect place,” Brogan suggested. “Everyone here has been to Cord Bennett’s animal sanctuary on Tradewinds at one time or another, either dropping off donated food, money, or supplies. It’s behind a walled enclosure with a gate. You pull in and wait until someone opens the gate, and then you go all the way around to the back to where the kennels are located. No one can see us load up there.”

“That’s brilliant,” Lucien said. “She’s right. That part of Tradewinds has very little traffic. The sanctuary takes up an entire half-block area. If anyone follows us, we’ll be able to see him.”

“That works,” Birk stated. “We park on the street. Walk right into the clinic and out the back. For all the killer knows, Woody could be dropping off extra feed, and we’re there to get our dogs checked out after spending a traumatic time at the ranch.”

“He won’t be watching that closely because he won’t leave the ranch,” Savannah offered. “Where’s his transportation into town? Unless he stole another truck, he’s on foot.”

“Then, are we in agreement on the plan for, let’s say, tomorrow night?” Trent asked.

They glanced around at each other before nodding in agreement.

“Good. Everyone take some much-needed downtime. Use today to catch up on your sleep. We need everyone alert and ready to go tomorrow night.”

“So when do we pretend to leave?” Beckett questioned.

“Stay tonight,” Trent began, “Leave tomorrow around noon. Make it a big production, loading up everything you brought with you. Woody will leave first and be at the animal sanctuary waiting for you. He’ll make the return trip back to the ranch by two. You’ll stay hidden in the haybarn until nightfall.”

“What about the night patrols?” Lucien asked.

“It won’t hurt to go out one more night,” Trent answered. “Make it look good.”

Tate angled toward Trent. “Cooper says he’s already started digging into the de Haviland family tree.”

“Then it’s time to open the safe and find out if there’s anything worth dying for inside.”

But when Trent tried to open the safe in his grandfather’s study, they discovered the combination had been changed.

“I’ll go get Duchess,” Tate offered.

“No need. I’m right here,” Duchess said, entering the room. “Why do you two need to poke around in the safe anyway?”

“Why not?” Trent asked. “When did you change the combination?”

“The night of the break-in when Slade died. I felt it prudent to do so.”

“And you didn’t feel the need to inform us?” Tate queried.

“Why would I? There’s nothing in there for you to see.”

Trent narrowed his eyes. “Come again? I’m the chief financial officer of Callum Ranch LLC, doing business as Rio Verde Ranch. I pay the bills. Since when am I not allowed to access legal documents that Granddad used to keep in here?”

“Why are you acting this way?” Tate asked her grandmother. “What are you trying to hide from us?”

“I’ll have you know that I’ve dedicated my life to this family. From the moment I married your grandfather, I’ve lived to protect our legacy,” Duchess declared, her voice quivering with emotion. “There are things in that safe that are better left buried in the past.”

Tate’s eyes narrowed as she regarded her grandmother. “Buried in the past? What could be so terrible that you had to change the combination without telling us? What’s so important in that safe that it cost the life of your husband?”

Duchess sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. “This isn’t just about Barrett. It’s about protecting our name, his legacy. There are secrets in that safe that could put everyone in danger if they were to come to light.”

Trent stepped forward, his expression flashing between grim and angry. “We’re already in danger. How much more could we be in? We have a madman running around trying to gun us down and blow up things. We need to know what’s in that safe. We need every piece of information we can get to stop this carnage.”

Duchess looked from Trent to Tate, her gaze filled with a staunch resolve. “Alright, fine. The truth is, I found something in there after the break-in. Something that didn’t belong in there.”

Tate’s eyes widened at the revelation, while Trent’s jaw tightened in anticipation.

“What did you find?” Trent asked, his voice steady but demanding.

Duchess hesitated, her eyes clouded with guilt and apprehension before giving in. “If you must know, it was a letter addressed to Barrett demanding some outrageous amount of money,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “Something about the Callums owing millions of dollars to his family.”

Trent felt a jolt of shock. “Why didn’t you mention it to Brent? You’ve had any number of opportunities to come clean with him.”

An annoyed expression crossed his grandmother’s face. “I didn’t know how to bring it up. It seemed like such a wild accusation, and I hoped it was just a mistake or a prank.”

“Where’s the letter now?”

“I burned it.”

Tate let out a gasp, trading looks with Trent. She could see the tension in his posture, his mind already churning through the implications of their grandmother’s disclosure. She could practically hear the gears turning in his head, trying to connect the dots between the letter demanding money and the attacks on their family.

“Did you ever consider sharing the demands in the letter with us?” Trent asked.

“I didn’t see any reason to bring it to anyone’s attention.”

“What exactly did the letter accuse the Callums of doing? Why does this guy think we owe him money? Was it a bad business deal gone wrong or what?”

“It was so vague and outlandish that no one in their right mind would believe it anyway,” she huffed. “I hope tonight’s patrols will be the last. The man’s dead. No one could’ve survived that explosion.”

“Only if Brent finds human remains will we know for certain that he’s dead,” Trent pointed out.

“So you’re still planning to keep up these ridiculous patrols?” she asked as she marched out of the room.

“I don’t believe a word she said,” Tate admitted. “Whatever she’s hiding has to do with her, not Granddad. She’s trying to protect her legacy, not his or ours.”

“We need to dig into her past because she isn’t willing to admit it, maybe something so dark she doesn’t want anyone to find out.”

“Something buried in the past,” Tate muttered. “She almost gave it away. That’s what she said. So how do we get the safe open?”

“I’ll work on that. Let me take a few pictures of it, see if I can find a serial number, and then look it up online. How long will it take Cooper to have something for us?”

“He promised results by tomorrow. What do you suppose she’s holding back?”

“Whatever it is, it’s something big.”

“Where’s Savannah?”

“Trying to get some sleep. You should try that sometime.”

“We should all be taking a nap. We might do just that if our grandmother wasn’t so secretive and stubborn.”

“And unwilling to talk. I need a shower. So do you. We both smell like smoke. And I promised a very beautiful redhead I’d give her dinner under the stars someday. I think it should be now.”

“In the middle of this chaos?”

“Yeah. This chaos might go on for a while. I don’t want to miss this opportunity with Savannah before she hightails it out of here, away from my crazy family.”

Tate grinned. “There is that possibility. Better act fast before she decides the risk is not worth the rewards. What do you have planned, oh, brother dear? Would I approve?”

“I’m gonna give her dinner under the stars like I promised.”

“Haven’t you forgotten something? What about our resident madman?”

“I don’t think he’ll do anything tonight because he wants us to think he’s dead. So, I’m playing along before we start the patrols.”

“You’re having dinner with Savannah out in the open?”

“I didn’t say that. I might improvise.”

“Hmm. Your office does have a skylight. And a convenient bed.”

“Right on both counts. But more importantly—it offers privacy.”

“I suppose that could work. Dinner under the stars, indoors. Very romantic, brother dear.”

Trent grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Let’s hope it impresses Savannah. So unless the house is on fire, you don’t need me for the next two hours. You take care of it. Whatever it is.”

Tate did a mock salute. “Yes, captain. I’ll go down with the ship because you’re having a romantic interlude.”

“Jealous?”

“Green with envy. But that’s another story. Go have fun.”

“Oh, I intend to.”