Bodie turned as Buck’s voice filled the room. The man had been scouring a handful of the images since Bodie had placed them on the table, seemingly fixated on the incidents involving any form of incendiary device.
Bodie arched a brow. “You find a pattern?”
Buck snorted. “More like a signature.” He walked over the board. “Let’s start at the first incident and work our way down. According to the official report, our victim, initials A.S., supposedly got swept off the ridge line trail by a sudden washout, except the wash is too clean. Too precise. And see up here…” He pointed to another image of the fault line that had failed. “No way that fault just gave out. There’re bits of metal embedded in the rock. I can’t say it’s the same alloy we found in the IED without comparing samples, but it looks the same. And there’s no reason for shrapnel to be at the site of a natural landslide.”
Buck moved over a couple files. “Next, we have the leg-trap that snared the mushroom picker. True, there’re poachers that target that area, and he was foraging illegally, but if you look at the tool marks on the trigger mechanism for the trap, they match the ones on the pressure plate that killed Evan, along with the bits of the device Rowan uncovered from that rockslide that nearly killed that geologist six months ago. And I bet, once ATF analyzes the chemical makeup of the putty they used, it’ll match, too.”
Bodie studied the images, glancing over at Buck. “Military grade?”
“Absolutely, only, whoever’s designing this isn’t just a builder. This is art. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. Until Evan, the amounts used were eerily selective. Just enough to scare or injure, not kill.” Buck nodded at the map of the region. “Whatever they’re protecting, it’s important enough they’ve stepped up to lethal methods.”
Buck took a few steps back, face grim. Brow furrowed.
Bodie groaned. “Whatever else you have to say, buddy, just spit it out.”
Buck clenched his jaw, made the muscle in his temple jump. “The thing with ordinance guys… They’re like snipers. They don’t stop unless the mission’s over. And with us alive — Rowan launching an official investigation — this doesn’t feel finished.” He crossed his arms as he moved back and leaned against the desk. “We weren’t supposed to survive. That’s definitely complicated things for them.”
Greer frowned. “I’ve had a deputy posted outside Wade’s room since he got moved out of the ICU. While it’s only been a few hours, it’s been quiet.”
Buck shrugged. “Wade’s not really a threat. He’s barely conscious and most likely won’t remember much after the blast. Besides, they got all of the shrapnel out of his leg, unlike you, brother.” Buck pointed at Bodie. “You’re still sporting some of their hardware, along with that body cam you’re hoping to decrypt. And didn’t you say Rowan identified herself before she took on those two assholes at the ridge? Intel that would have been broadcast over that feed. That they followed her home, too? Know where she lives?”
Bodie nodded. “Name and rank and yeah. They know.”
“In my opinion, you two are at the top of their hit list, with me and Dalton likely somewhere lower. All we really saw were armed mercenaries in tactical gear. But you and Rowan…”
“What about us?”
Bodie turned as Rowan’s voice carried through the sheriff’s station. She stood in the doorway, mud caked along the cuffs of her cargo pants, the scent of pine and earth drifting off her. Her hair hung in waves from her ponytail, damp from the mist or rain. She smiled as she walked halfway over, her gaze darting between them before focusing on him.
Bodie inhaled, chest squeezed tight, the warm memory of their kiss lingering on his mouth before he shoved it down — got his head back in the game. “Thought we’d have to send Beckett and his crew out after you.”
She snorted, accepting the coffee Shirley, Greer’s assistant, handed her. “I’ll give ATF this much. They’re thorough. Thought they were gonna take half the park with them. If it wasn’t for the earlier sunsets, we’d probably still be out there.”
Greer moved over to her. “Are we holding the scene until SA Kaine can walk it?”
“Actually, she came out with ATF. Spent the day talking with the other agents, then caught a ride back to Portland. Mentioned something about coming out here first thing tomorrow morning. But we agreed we can clear the scene. Your deputies were right behind me. Thanks, by the way. For all the support. We should be able to run everything from here until it’s finished.”
Rowan stared at the whiteboard, brow furrowed, the light in her eyes visibly diminishing. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
Bodie walked over to her. “Greer claims it’s better when it’s all laid out. She’s not wrong.”
Rowan nodded, though, it looked a bit too fast to be believable. “And?”
“And you’ve got one hell of a string of events, most of which were labeled accidents.”
“Is that your conclusion?”
“Not bloody likely.” Bodie motioned to Buck. “Buck’s already spotted matching tool marks along with similar metal alloys used in the three explosive incidents. We’ve got multiple reports of men vanishing into the undergrowth. What witnesses and victims called ghosts. There’s military-grade tech involved, textbook black ops wargaming and expert-level outdoorsmen who’ve simply vanished. All of this coupled with what we experienced out there, and I’m positive we’re dealing with the same paramilitary group. Likely a private military company whose only morals involve dollar signs.”
He got close enough she had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. “You promised you’d go through everything once we dug deeper. So, now’s the time you come clean. Explain what these shorthand notes are in the margins. Who you think is behind this, and what the hell they’re hiding, because whatever’s going on has to be pretty fucking impressive if they’re going to hunt a federal agent. And we both know that’s exactly what they did last night. So, spill.”
Rowan stared up at Bodie, noting his pursed lips, the hint of red along his cheeks. He looked similar to how he had this morning when he’d cornered her and told her she’d kissed him in her sleep. Only, the intensity had shifted from sexual tension to something darker. Far more lethal.
Her gaze shifted to the whiteboard just visible over his shoulder, her personal files spread out across the surface. Only, it wasn’t just the photos. He’d scribbled notes below each one, lines and arrows connecting the events. What she was sure stemmed from Greer’s FBI background.
Bodie eased back. “Rowan?”
She tamped down the glimmer of hope — that maybe she hadn’t been imagining the connections all along — focused on Bodie. “Where would you like to start?”
