Page 22

Arnie, Reed, and Dickie had been in Missoula for a week with us. Three days after they arrived, the Patriots sent two guys to assist. One was Justin Becker. He was the brother to Voodoo and cousin to Blade, both Warriors in Dublin Falls. I was interested to find out he hadn’t been in the military like so many other Patriots. Instead, Justin had been a DEA agent for many years. He’d grown tired of their policies and their inability to bring the bad guys to justice, so he left them and joined the Dark Patriots.

The other was Aryan Hassan. Aryan was of Middle Eastern descent on his father’s side. While the spelling of his name would make you think it was pronounced the way we would say it, it was actually ahr-YEHN. Though he did admit, he got jokingly teased about not looking like he was a member of the Aryan race with his dark hair, eyes, and skin. He was good-natured about it. He was a security specialist for the company, which was slightly different from Justin and Beau, who were operatives.

What happened was during the day, Dickie, Reed, and Arnie took turns watching Mona and her husband. While they did that, Justin and Aryan were on alert for others creeping around Kensy’s apartment, my place, or lurking around my work. Beau did whatever the day called for. We were all sleeping at the two houses at night, though one person was always on night duty to watch over my house. It would be whoever had slept that day. All six men took turns doing it. I was denied that since my work was unpredictable. I often got asked to work on a day off, or I didn’t get off work on time, depending on what we were into at the time.

I was anxious for us to get the call from headquarters that it was time to move on the Chases because the Dark Patriots had everything they needed to capture all those involved. I was nervous. Detective Chase had called two days ago, and recalling our phone call made me even more anxious.

Detective Chase’s greeting set my teeth on edge. I wanted to scream at him and inform him I knew he was involved in Kensy’s disappearance and he’d pay for what he did, but I held back.

“Hello, Ms. Mills. This is Detective Chase in Billings. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.” He sounded so caring.

“No, Detective Chase, you caught me at a good time. I’m off today. How may I help you?” I said pleasantly.

He knew I was off, and we knew I was being watched. The guys had seen Chase lurking around my office and then in the area where my house was. Luckily, he didn’t know they were watching him. It was only twice, so we assumed it was on his days off.

“Glad to hear it. There’s nothing you can help with. I’m calling to check on you and see how you’re holding up. I know this is a trying time for you. You have to be going crazy. I wish I were calling to tell you we found her and the people responsible for her disappearance, but I’m not.”

His tone had the right degree of remorse in it. He was a good actor. I’d still believe him if I didn’t know what I knew and hadn’t caught that vibe and the slight shift in his countenance last time.

“I know it’s not likely, but I wanted to call and ask if you’ve thought of something or maybe seen or heard anything that has you worried or wondering.”

Why, yes, I have. I know you and your damn wife are up to your eyebrows in it. You’d better watch out when I get the proof and names I need. I’ll be coming for you, motherfucker, I thought. The image of his face, if I said it, fed the bitch side of me.

“Lord, you don’t know how much I wish I could say I had. The other day, I was so gone that I swore I had seen Kensy on the street. And I can’t even go to her apartment anymore.” I paused when Beau shook his head.

“Oh, why is that?” There was the ever-slightest nuance to his voice that said I was making him uneasy. Good.

“Because I get this weird feeling. You know, the kind you sometimes get when you think you’re being watched. I know I’m not, and it’s silly, but it seems to be the worst when I’m there. Beau said there was no need to go there until we find Kensy and bring her home. It only torments me.”

“Your boyfriend is right. You should stay away. No matter how small it is, I want you to call me immediately if you find or see anything that makes you uneasy or curious. I’m here to help no matter what. You can call me night or day. The number I gave you is my personal cell. I’ll answer, or if I can’t, I’ll call you back as soon as possible,” he assured me.

I wanted to vomit when I thanked him. “I don’t know what I’d do if it weren’t for you. I know we weren’t on the same wavelength in the beginning, but since we cleared that silly misunderstanding, you’ve been wonderful.” I made a gagging face at Beau, then stuck my finger in my mouth. He grinned.

“I’m glad we got that all straightened out, and you kept working with me. I want you to relax as much as you can. I won’t stop looking for your sister. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. Until then, try to rest as much as possible. I hope you have a good evening.”

“Thank you so much, Detective Chase. I’ll try. And you do the same.”

“I will, and please, Detective Chase is too formal. I believe we know each other well enough now that you can call me Michael.”

“Thank you, Michael. I’m Keeley.” I had to force myself to offer my name.

“Well, have a good night, Keeley.”

When he hung up, and I did the same, I asked Beau, “Did I do okay? Do you think he knows?” I asked apprehensively.

Beau came over, took me in his arms, and squeezed me gently. “Babe, you did wonderful. I don’t know how he could know. You held your tongue and stayed cool the entire time. You did it like a pro.”

“Thank you, but I sure was nervous the entire time. I need a drink.”

We’d had a drink, and then Beau took me to bed and proceeded to sex me up until I was exhausted and had no choice but to sleep. The sex itself took my mind entirely off Chase.

However, I was back to being apprehensive. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it had nothing to do with this case and Kensy and everything to do with the anticipated snowstorm. We were anticipating a winter storm. It was the beginning of March, which in Montana meant we still had plenty of inclement weather possible before spring.

It started as a watch, meaning the conditions were right for us to get the snow and ice. It was past that and now at the warning stage. The weather was looming ahead and posed a serious threat to property and lives. People were being warned to stay inside and not to be on the roads unless it was an emergency. The more they stayed inside, the less likely someone would be dispatched to save them because they got into trouble.

I prayed all the time that people would listen, but there were always a few who thought they would be fine or had something to prove, and they’d go out. Those were the ones search and rescue teams or the police and fire departments had to save. I was on duty at the office. Beau and the others were hunkered down at the rental and my home. With the weather being so dangerous from the snow and ice, I begged them to stay inside. I was at work, surrounded by coworkers. There was no need for any of them to be outside watching me. They’d reluctantly agreed.

Typically, we’d get an average of seven to eight inches of snow in March for the whole month. It had dropped seven inches on us in the last six hours and was still coming down. The temperature was sitting at zero. There were patches of ice as well, making it hazardous everywhere. We all prayed over and over that we wouldn’t get a call telling us someone was lost and required us to find them. It would be impossible in this weather. Anyone lost in it was guaranteed to die unless there was a miracle, at least if they were lost in the mountains.

After hours of this, I waited for my shift to end so I could hopefully make it home. My truck was one of the best for snow. It was a RAM 1500 Rebel. It had over ten inches of ground clearance and was a 4x4. I went with the V8 HEMI engine to give me all the power I needed. Short of taking it off-roading in the remotest parts of the mountains, it could go in any weather we got. I had faith that it would get me home.

We were down to two hours to go when the call I’d been dreading and praying wouldn’t occur did. All of us groaned. The report came through the local rangers’ office that a man and his son were reported missing, and they were last seen in our area near a campground in the Bitterroot Mountains. We didn’t waste time rolling out. We’d been prepared just in case such a call came in.

“Who the fuck would be stupid enough to stay out in this? Even if they didn’t hear a weather report. When the snow started, the dad should’ve booked his ass back to his vehicle,” Porter bitched.

I didn’t blame him. He said what we were all thinking. Percilla took the call. Before we left, Chief Becerra, who was with us, ordered her to go home as soon as her husband could come to get her. He didn’t want her to stay there and wait for us to return, risking herself even more. She was on the phone with her husband when we pulled out of the garage.

Besides Porter and the chief, Aldo Grasso and Fritz Parry were on the team today. They usually worked with me, although sometimes we ended up with others. It depended on who was on vacation, had a day off, or was sick. When we arrived at the campground, I wanted to swear when I saw who one of the rangers was. Just my bad luck to have Lennox here. Since our last encounter, I hadn’t seen or heard from him, but it was unrealistic to think, working what I did, that we wouldn’t.

While the chief spoke to the head ranger and a third one talked to the rest of my team, I began to get the equipment out. We took certain things into the field no matter what, and I was pulling those out. I should’ve known I was begging for Lennox to talk to me by being separated from my team, but I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

“Hey, Keeley, why did this have to happen on your day to work?” he asked, surprising me with the note of concern in his voice and the frown on his face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“I mean, it’s bad enough when I have to see you go out into the wilderness and not know if something will get you hurt or worse out there. It’s a hundred times worse when we have a storm like this. Can’t you stay behind?”

I stared at him in astonishment. “Lennox, why would I do that?”

“So you don’t risk yourself! Why should you die because some man and his teen son were too stupid to get the fuck to safety?” he snapped.

“That’s not how this job works. Just like yours doesn’t, either. I don’t shirk my duty. My life isn’t more valuable than my team’s lives or anyone else’s,” I told him, aghast at what he was suggesting.

“It is to me. I’m shocked that the man you’re seeing lets you do it. Or have you broken up?” There was a hopeful tone at the end.

“Beau and I aren’t broken up, and he doesn’t tell me how to live my life or do my job. He knows I’m competent and can take care of myself.” I wanted to say that was an example of why he and I would’ve never lasted.

He sighed. “I’m starting to see that you and I aren’t as compatible as I thought. I wouldn’t allow you to do this if you were with me.”

“Well, it’s good that we’re not because you’d be pissed at me all the time for doing my job. Why didn’t you spot the campers missing on your check earlier? Why did you wait to call and tell us?”

“We didn’t wait or know. Our list showed everyone was accounted for. We knew of it when we got a call from the sheriff’s department reporting them missing by the wife. She was the one to tell where they camped. I guess they snuck in and never registered, the dumbasses. As soon as we heard that, we called your team.”

By then, the others had made their way to us. It was somewhat hectic as everyone was talking and grabbing equipment. We were to be paired up with two rangers and two deputy sheriffs. Our chief was staying behind with the head ranger and the actual sheriff to man the command post. It was so cold, and the snow was coming down again, that we were all wrapped up with just our eyes showing behind the goggles we had on.

I was paired with one of the deputies. Lennox gave me a halfhearted wave. I thought he was disappointed we weren’t together. I wasn’t. Each pair was assigned a quadrant. I was with Scott White. I knew him slightly from former search and rescue calls.

There wasn’t a lot of personal chatting. We concentrated on looking for the father and son while also calling out for them. I had a flashback to Beau and me doing this not long ago. We’d been at it about twenty minutes when White excused himself to go behind a deadfall to take a piss. I wanted to ask why he didn’t do it before we left, but I didn’t. Maybe his dick would half freeze off, and he’d be wiser the next time. It was a few minutes before he rejoined me. Wrapped up the way he was, he looked like an abominable snowman. I began walking before he made it to me. I was impatient to find this family and get them out of harm’s way and home.

I was ahead of White. I called over my shoulder. “We’re getting into thicker undergrowth and trees. We’ll have to look closer. Too bad we couldn’t use the snowmobiles for this, but we’d never hear them over the engines.”

I felt him catch up to me. I was turning to look at him as I finished speaking when a shiver of awareness raced up my spine. It was too late to do anything. As pain exploded in the back of my head, I swore and tried to lash out, but it was no use. I was losing consciousness within moments.