Page 103 of The 9th Man

“That’s some friend to come all the way up here in this cold. You realize I can shoot you both right now and no one will ever find your bodies.”

“Oh, we get that message loud and clear,” Luke said. “But if you do that, Thomas Rowland will win and you’ll soon be dead.”

“How do you figure?”

“There are folks coming here for you.”

“Rowland has no idea I exist.”

Finally, an admission. “How do you know that?”

“I just do. Only Ray and Benji knew me. That was done on purpose. So I’ve done just fine, for a long time. Without you.”

Eckstein stayed silent, but kept the rifle aimed. Luke imagined the quandary. Was this friend or foe? Truth or lie? Impossible to know.

So he tried, “Lancer.”

Recalling the word from Simmons’s notes.

It had to be important.

“Where’d you get that?” Eckstein asked.

“Simmons left it. What does it mean?”

The old man tossed him an annoyed look. “It means that I don’t have to shoot you. Follow me, and bring your mounts.”

He nodded.

“Lead the way.”

51

TALLEY STARED DOWN AT THE WAPITI RANGER STATION.

They’d landed an hour ago in Cody after a charter flight from Louisiana. Two of his team were already here, making the proper arrangements, which had included securing two helicopters that would suit their needs.

“Put us down, right on the highway,” he ordered over his headset.

He glanced back out the side window. In the fading afternoon light he saw a Park County Sheriff SUV astride the highway, its roof rack lights strobing, casting the nearby snow-covered hillsides in flashes of blue and red.

He’d done his homework. The Park County Sheriff employed only thirteen deputies to patrol and police some seven thousand square miles and six hundred road-miles of sprawling rough country. On any given day they were spread paper-thin. And now, with night falling and a winter storm approaching, they were dealing with a high-level request for assistance. Which worried him. If these deputies proved uncooperative, he’d have a real problem.

Rowland had provided him the locale information, along with a specific directive.Capture Eckstein. Retrieve all electronics. Once done, contact me and I’ll provide further instruction.

He changed channels on his headset. “We’re setting down. Look alive.”

More of his men were aboard, all trusted and battle-tested. The Sikorsky S-92 seated nineteen, so the remaining cargo space had their equipment, ready for rapid deployment.

Was Daniels here?

Time to find out.

The Sikorsky banked left, slowed to a hover over the highway, and then dropped gently to the asphalt. Rotors began spooling down. Through the side window he saw another Park County SUV headed up the ranger station driveway toward them.

Into the headset he said, “The rest of you stay put, until I give the order. Switching to portable radio channel two.”

He climbed out the cabin door just as a deputy eased to a stop at the edge of the rotor’s wash. He led the uniform down the gravel driveway, until they didn’t have to shout over the rotor noise.