Kyle unzipped the parka. Sure enough, he found the handkerchief.
“Here, Camo.” He pulled it out of the pocket hoping the handkerchief might have enough of Walter’s scent on it for Camo. “Find Walter, boy.”
The dog sniffed the handkerchief all over, tail wagging. He had the scent. He started to pull back up toward Arden’s ranch. Kyle followed him a few yards until he found two sets of tracks. Sure enough, they headed straight for the ranch. He headed back to the women to tell them what he found.
“Kyle,” Arden said, grabbing his arm. She looked back at Ellie. “Did your power ever go out?”
“No, sweetie, did yours?”
“Shit, yes.”
Kyle knew instantly what the look on her face meant. “He cut your power.”Fuck. They’d missed all the signs. Camo hadn’t been reacting to the storm when they were talking—Rick had been outside, with Walter.Shit. Camo had wanted to go to the barn even as they were heading down to the Sanders’ place.
Kyle’s gut churned. “I have to get back up there, now. You got her, babe?”
Arden didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. Go.”
“Go with him. I’m fine, sweetie,” Ellie said.
Arden looked torn but she said, “No way, Ellie. I think two SEALs can manage without my help.” She handed Kyle her snowmobile key and her gun.
God, he loved this woman. He tried to hand the gun back to her. “You keep the gun just in case. I’ve got Nancy.”
“Take both her guns, honey, you might need them,” Ellie said as she reached into her coat and pulled out her own .38 special. “We can manage.” Okay, he lovedboththese women.
“Thanks, ma’am. Keep trying to get ahold of the sergeant.”
“He already texted back. He’s on his way along with a plow and an ambulance.”
Kyle and Camo made their way back to the snowmobiles and Kyle loaded Camo in. Dammit, he should have known. That’s what Rick had been doing the night of the mountain lion—scouting out Arden’s barn. He must have noticed the camera and left instead of setting the animals free. Or maybe that wasn’t his objective at all. God only knew what that asshole was trying to accomplish.
Kyle opened the snowmobile up when he got to the road. Rick must have cut the power because he knew he couldn’t knock out the cameras—but without light, they were as good as dead anyway.
Walter. The storm. The barn.What was Rick up to?
He stopped short of the ranch’s driveway and cut the engine. Kyle hoped the storm was enough to mask his approach. He let Camo out, drew Arden’s gun, and they made their way up the drive. Camo pulled harder than he ever had. Could the dog have Walter’s scent inthisstorm? The wind was blowing their direction, but still, that was a longshot. All Kyle could smell was cold, pine, and the smoke from Arden’s chimneys.
Except, the smell of the smoke changed…something off about it…
“Fuck!” Kyle started running as well as he could. Along with woodsmoke came the smell of burning hay.
He got to the edge of the house and confirmed it—the barn was on fire.
Flames licked up the nearest corner to the roof. As he ran to the barn, Kyle wondered if Rick was lying somewhere in wait, and if he’d feel a bullet tear him open as soon as he got to the barn. He’d just have to take that chance because Kyle had every reason to believe that Walter Sanders was inside and he didn’t have much time left.
If the man wasn’t already dead.
Kyle ordered Camo to sit and stay at a safe distance from the barn. The door was open wide enough to let someone in. Smoke drifted out. Kyle covered his nose and mouth with the scarf Arden loaned him, crouched low, and went inside.
The horses and alpacas had gone mad with fear. As much as their panicked whinnies would haunt him, he had to look for Walter first. The fire hadn’t spread much but he had no time to waste.
There. Over by the alpacas lay a dark huddled shape against the flames. Kyle moved quickly. Sure enough, Walter lay on his side beside what looked like a campfire gone wrong. Son of a bitch—looked like Rick was planning on framing Walter, making it look like the old man had started a fire to stay warm.
“Walter?” His eyes were closed and he was unresponsive. Kyle picked him up and carried him out of the barn. When they got outside to where Camo waited, Kyle heard one of the best sounds ever—Walter started coughing.
“Walter?” By now Walter was alert, looking around and coughing.
“Where am I?” he asked. “I was with someone.”
