"He'd go after Ma and Pa," I finished, already reaching for Dan's phone with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. "And Newt. They're all at the house. Unprotected."
Dan didn't question me, didn't ask for more explanation or tell me I was overreacting. He just handed me his phone, trusting my instincts in a way few people ever had.
I punched in Knox's number, my fingers feeling too big for the buttons in my hurry. He answered on the first ring.
"Knox, it's the farm," I said without preamble. "Collins is going after the homestead."
There was a beat of silence, then: "How do you know?"
"I just do," I insisted, unable to explain the bone-deep certainty I felt. "Think about it. He's been watching us, studying us. He knows our land, knows our routines. Knows that family is everything to McKenzies."
I could almost see Knox working through the logic, weighing possibilities with that tactical mind of his. When he spoke again, his voice was tight with controlled fear. "Ma and Pa are there. And Newt is there helping Ma with dinner while we’re out."
The blood drained from his face—I couldn't see it through the phone, but I knew it had happened, could hear it in the sudden thinness of his voice.
"Get there now," he ordered. "Ransom and I will secure these two then follow. I'll try calling the house."
"If Collins is there with Ma and Pa, they won't be able to answer," I said, the thought making my stomach clench painfully.
"Just drive, Harlow. Fast as you can."
I ended the call and pressed harder on the accelerator, the truck's engine whining in protest. Dan braced himself againstthe dashboard with his good arm as we bounced over ruts in the logging road.
"You should be getting that arm looked at," I said, guilt mixing with the fear already churning in my gut. "Not charging into another dangerous situation."
"Partners, remember?" Dan replied, his voice steady despite the pain he must have been feeling. "Where you go, I go. Especially when it's your family in danger."
I took the turn onto the county road too fast, the truck fishtailing before I got it under control. We were still a good fifteen minutes from the farm—too long. Far too long if Collins was already there.
"They'll be okay," Dan said, reading the fear on my face. "Your family is tough. And Collins doesn't know what he's walking into if he thinks McKenzies are easy targets."
I wanted to believe that. Ma was no pushover, and Pa kept a shotgun within reach most times. But if Collins had enough men, if he caught them by surprise—
I didn't finish the thought, pushing the truck faster instead. The damaged engine protested, a concerning rattle developing under the hood, but I ignored it. Metal could be fixed. Family couldn't.
"Try calling the house again," I urged as we flew past the Bridger property. "Maybe they'll pick up this time."
Dan dialed, his face tense as he listened. After several rings, he shook his head. "No answer."
The sky was darkening to deep purple as dusk settled over the valley, the last of the day's light painting the hills in fading gold. Under different circumstances, I might have found it beautiful. Now it just meant shadows for Collins and his men to hide in.
"Almost there," Dan said as we approached the long drive that led to the McKenzie homestead. "When we get there, we need a plan. We can't just charge in blind."
I knew he was right, but every instinct screamed at me to get to Ma and Pa, to make sure they were safe. I'd never been one for complicated strategies—that was Knox's department. I was the one who followed my gut, who acted on feeling rather than careful planning. And right now, my gut was telling me our family needed us.
As we crested the hill that would give us the first view of the homestead, a sickness rose in my throat. Black smoke billowed into the twilight sky, rising thick and dark from where the barn stood. And parked in our driveway was a police cruiser—not one of ours from McKenzie River, but a county vehicle I didn't recognize.
"No," I whispered, the word escaping like a prayer or a plea. "No, no, no."
Dan's hand gripped my arm, whether to comfort me or steady himself, I couldn't tell. "Drive," he said, his voice taut with urgency. "But be ready for anything."
I pressed the accelerator to the floor, the truck's engine screaming in protest as we hurtled down the road toward home. Toward family. Toward whatever Collins had done to the place and people I loved most in this world.
And in that moment, as the smoke rose higher and the distance between us and home shrank, I made a silent vow: if Collins had hurt any of mine, there wouldn't be a place on this earth where he could hide from what was coming for him.
Chapter Sixteen
~ Daniel ~
