“Understood. Talk soon, sir.” After I hang up my SAT phone, I park my car near a farmhouse where the owner had made multiple complaints.
About a mile into the woods, male voices carry on the breeze. It’s been a while but I recognize a few words of Farsi. Pulling out my cell, I hit record to translate it later.
Deeper under the brush, I count six men in white camouflage snowsuits. Shit. The buzzing overhead worries me. If that drone has thermal imaging, I will be found out.
These half-dozen night crawlers are not your average illegals. The ones on either side of the line hold AKs, wear ammo belts, and are sporting fifty-pound backpacks. Their whole demeanor screams special forces.
What the hell did I stumble into? Backing away, I pray the drone’s pilot is eating cheese puffs and watching the game.
In silence, I traverse the narrow trail. The moment my car comes into view, I breathe easier until a woman shouts, “Hands where I can see them.”
Figuring there’s a gun aimed at my chest, I lift my elbows high, fingers spread. “Don’t shoot. I’m with Vermont Fish and Wildlife.”
“In the middle of the night?” A dark-haired woman in her mid-forties wearing a star on her belt shines her fucking flashlight into my night-vision goggles.
Eyes stinging from the headache-inducing brightness, I turn my head. “Mind focusing your beam elsewhere?”
When the light fades, I lace my hands behind my back, reminding myself to be polite to the local sheriff. “Care to see my ID?”
Lips pursed, safety off, barrel pointed, she nods. “Real slow, mister.”
“Yes, ma’am. And would you mind lowering your weapon?” Tugging out my wallet, I tamp down my anger. A bunch of mercenaries walk into the United States without any questions asked, but I’m the one targeted?
While my heart races, she studies my fake identity card, taps it on her palm, and frowns. “Gurion? How come I never heard of you?”
One of law enforcement’s first lessons is to announce yourself. This woman must’ve missed that class. “How about you introduce yourself, first.”
“I’m Sheriff Loughlin. I’d like to say nice to meet ya, but it’d be a lie.” The woman has the authority to detain me, so I try to remain calm.
“Well, as for your question, I’m a new hire from Burlington. The university and our department have a grant to examine the effect of illegals encroaching on our wildlife’s habitat.” Any lie said with enough conviction is believable.
She hesitates, scratches her head, then raises her pistol. “Well, you shouldn’t be out here, so I’m arresting you for trespassing. Are you armed?”
“Sorry. The only thing that shoots are my cameras.” My pulse spikes.If those armed mercenaries show up, it could be lights out for all of us.
“Well, you’re fortunate I’m the one who found you. These forests are full of coyotes and not the four-legged kind.” Her scowl doesn’t scare me nearly as much as the men I spotted earlier.
“Thanks for the warning. In the future, I’ll be more cautious.”
“Let me be succinct. There will be no next time, Mister Gurion. Let’s go.” She beams at my feet, cuffs me, and leads us back to the road.
While I sit in her SUV’s back seat, she flicks her eyes in the rearview mirror. “By the way, did you see anyone tonight?”
She’s given me no reason to trust her, so I lie, “No, ma’am, not a soul.”
Chapter 4
Kelly
My cell phone rings. Woken from a sound slumber, I struggle to snatch the damn thing off my nightstand. Seconds later, the bright red digits of the sheriff’s caller ID light up in front of my nose.
No, no, no.It’s 2:03 AM.Did Mackenzie sneak out? Is she injured or worse? Thirteen-year-olds can be so unpredictable.
As I swipe to answer, I stumble out of bed. “Hello?”
“Hey O’Malley, It’s Sheriff Loughlin.” My friend’s formality causes my racing heart to thump harder than ever while I bolt down the hall.
Terrified of what she might say, I gasp for air as I reach my daughter’s bedroom door handle. “A-yup. What’s going on?”
