From Callie’s description, there was no doubt about it. “I wish there was a way to let her know we’re here for her.”
Edge shook his head. “We can’t risk it. We only have Callie’s word that Lila went with Henson against her will. Henson’s a charming bastard. Maybe he convinced her to go with him. If he discovers we’ve found him, he’ll run again. The next time we might not be so lucky.”
“You’re right. We need to wait, get more information, find out what we’re facing.”
“It might be better to let Henson settle in for a day or two, see if he’s planning to set up another lab. In the meantime, we’ll recon the area, figure a way to get in and get Lila out.”
“Assuming she’s willing to go.”
“Yeah. That could definitely pose a problem. We’ll just have to deal with it as it plays out.”
They decided to walk the hills at the edge of the open land surrounding the house. Skye suggested they split up, but Edge refused.
“We don’t know how many more men he might have out there. We stick together until we have more intel.”
Skye reluctantly agreed. Edge was overly protective. There were times she found it annoying. Most of the time she found it endearing. Another quality she liked about him.
Her heart squeezed at the thought.
A three-strand, barbed-wire fence ran along the boundary line of the property, matching the map Zoe had sent. The intriguing thing was the huge stack of metal on the ground a half mile from the house.
“What is it?” Skye asked.
“Same stuff he used to make the Quonset-style buildings in Blancha Springs. He’s got the metal framework for the lab all set to go. He just needs the labor to build it.”
“He’s got a few men already.”
“He’ll need more to cook the meth once the lab’s set up.”
“I wonder where he plans to get them?”
“Good question. Maybe we can get some answers in town. The house looks like it’s been here a while. Let’s see what the locals know about it.”
* * *
They waited till dark to make the trip into town. First, they stopped at the Chamaya Café and had supper, a steak for Edge and grilled salmon for Skye. Before they left, Edge talked to the owner, a friendly, gray-haired man who seated people and worked the register while his wife and son did the cooking.
Jedediah Austin told him the old Pine Tree Ranch had been purchased by some big company, but they’d never done anything with it.
“Leastwise not till lately. Word is they’re gonna use the property as some kinda halfway house, a place for ex-cons to make the transition from prison to civilian life. Nobody ’round here’s too keen on the notion, but that’s the way it goes.”
Jed finished ringing him up, and Edge paid with his credit card. He opened the door for Skye, and they walked out into the night.
“A halfway house,” Skye said. “That sounds exactly like something Henson would do. He can play preacher again, or something close to that.”
“He’s probably got somebody on the inside sorting through the prisoners being released, picking the ones who’ll do his dirty work for him.”
From the café, Edge drove to the opposite end of town and parked in front of the Buckhorn Bar and Grill, which was more a saloon than a restaurant. Just a long bar lined with stools and a room full of battered wooden tables. There was a big-screen TV behind the bar, so the stools were all taken.
A couple in black motorcycle leathers waved goodbye to the bartender and headed for the door, leaving two empty spaces halfway down the row. Edge set a hand at Skye’s waist, urging her forward, and they bellied up to the bar.
The crowd at the tables was a little on the rough side, a mix of men and women, a few more bikers, a couple of guys in cowboy hats. The bartender who mopped the place in front of them had slicked-back brown hair pulled into a man bun on top of his head. “What’ll ya have?”
“I’ll have a beer,” Skye said. “Got anything local?”
Eyes the color of ink ran over her head to toe, rested for a moment on her pretty breasts. Edge clamped down on the urge to grab the guy by the throat and pull him across the bar.
Inwardly, he sighed. How had he ever convinced himself he wasn’t the jealous type?
