“What you’re saying is, we either attempt the trail ourselves, or we need this guide to get us there.”
“Which might be a problem. If it is the person I think it is, they’re…”
Rowan stepped in beside Bodie. “They’re what?”
Buck sighed. “It might be better if you just see for yourself. I’ll make a couple calls. See if they’re around, then we can get all our stuff together, head out. Though, you’ll need to let me do the talking at first, okay?”
Rowan shrugged. “You can command the entire trek if it gets us to that facility.”
“Let me see what I can do, but either way, I’ll get us there.”
Buck headed out, his cell in hand, the other banging against his thigh, a hint of the demons he’d learned how to control bleeding through. Avery ambled over to them, looking as if she already thought they were crazy.
Rowan obviously noticed it, too, because she sighed. “I know this is a joint operation, but it’s apparent the IED wasn’t a terrorist attack. At least, not in the sense my boss thought. If you’d rather sit this next part out, I’ll understand. It’s not exactly by-the-book.”
Avery snorted. “And let you have all the fun? I’m fine, as long as no one dies because that would be extremely hard to explain to my superiors, made up JSOG unit or not.”
“Deal.” Rowan glanced at the screen. “Now, all we need is for Buck to pull a Hail Mary out of his ass and we can finally go on the offensive. Hit Walsh where it hurts the most.”
Bodie nodded. “Just remember, this is primarily a rescue mission. If we can bring any other evidence back, that’s great, but lives, first. Walsh and Veridian have already claimed enough of those. We won’t let them take any more.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Are you sure this is the place?” Rowan stood at the edge of the small clearing, arms crossed as she studied the cabin tucked amidst a few Ponderosa pines. Wispy smoke spiraled up from the chimney, some kind of coating on the windows giving them a mirror-like effect. A narrow path wove toward the front door, the surrounding forest blanketing the area with an uneasy silence.
Deep shadows laced across the fern-rich ground, the sun already deep toward the horizon. Salty mist filled the air, scented with woodsmoke and pine.
Buck glanced at her over his shoulder. “I mentioned it was secluded.”
“You weren’t exaggerating.”
“Some of us need the isolation to breathe.”
Bodie moved in beside Rowan. “No one’s judging, Buck.”
Buck focused on the cabin, again, eyes narrowing as if he saw it differently. Which, he likely did. Rowan didn’t know Buck’s full story, but she’d heard some of the rumors. How he’d often parked his RV as far from civilization as possible. That a couple years ago, this would have been him.
Alone.
Untrusting.
“Just, stay here.” Buck took a few steps, then stopped. “Seriously. Don’t take so much as a step off this pathway.”
Rowan frowned, nudged Bodie, but he shrugged. They waited as Buck followed the path, stopping frequently as he stared at the landscape, tilting his head, then crouching for a few moments. Rowan looked, too. Wondered what he saw that she’d missed. If a group of mercenaries were hiding behind the trees. Maybe some kind of security system with laser sights strapped to a post. Something to explain the man’s odd behavior.
He got within ten feet of the covered porch when a rifle cocked off to his right, the distinctive sound echoing across the open space.
Buck froze as Rowan and the others drew their weapons, ready to pounce when he waved them off. “I know you can see me, Tier. Can we lose the dramatics?”
Buck’s voice carried through the woods. Not overly loud, but strangely crisp. The trees bounced it back, that eerie silence rolling in before a woman appeared at the far side of the cabin, carbine notched in her shoulder, her mass of caramel-colored hair pulled back into a messy bun.
She glanced their way, seemingly indifferent to all the weapons trained on her. “We had a deal, Landry. I don’t ask you specifics about an assignment, and you don’t bring feds to my door.”
Nick inhaled, face ashen, his weapon slipping from its mark. He opened his mouth, closed it, staring at the woman — Tier — as if he’d seen a ghost.
Buck cringed at her tone. “Rowan’s with the National Park Service. That’s different.”
Tier cocked her head. “I’m not talking about Rowan.” She scanned the group, zeroed in on Avery. “I’m talking about Special Agent Kaine.”
