By the end of the night, I know I’ll be destroyed in ways I’ve never experienced before.
And it’s just getting started.
CHAPTER FORTY
Reid
The low humof the surveillance system fills the room, and I lean back in the creaky chair, scrolling through the grainy footage on the screen.
Each frame flickers, showing bits and pieces of the property, the far corners of High Ridge that don’t quite appear to be touched by time. They’re just… there.
I’ve been going through the footage for the better part of the morning, and it’s just more of the same…. nothing suspicious, nothing new.
How the hell are we going to put an end to this if I can’t find anything?
Frustration starts to churn in my gut. The system’s good, but not great.
It’s the kind you get when you don’t have a million-dollar budget or a tech-savvy team. But we need something more than just these blurry frames to catch whoever it is in the act.
I drag my hand down my face, a sigh escaping me, when it hits me.
I need something better. I need something that can actually see.
That’s when it clicks: Cody Harlan.
He’s got the tech skills that make it seem like the rest of us are still using smoke signals to communicate. I’ve seen him organize some pretty high-tech setups over at Ironwood.
They’ve got equipment that would blow this basic system out of the water. If anyone can help us catch the culprit in the act, it’s Cody.
I don’t even think twice before grabbing my jacket and heading out the door. Iknowmy friend will help us out. No doubt about it.
I just can’t believe I didn’t think about this earlier.
Idiot.
When I pull up to Ironwood, the Harlan’s ranch is peaceful, as always. The grass is cut to perfection, the barn is organized, and there’s not a piece of equipment out of place.
It’s the kind of place that looks more like a museum than a working ranch. But that’s the Harlan brothers for you. They prefer things to be efficient. No room for clutter.
Which is why I’m hoping they can help me now.
I knock on the door, and after a moment, Cody answers, looking as though he’s been interrupted mid-thought. His glasses are perched on the end of his nose, and he’s got that typical “not impressed” look on his face.
“You lost?” Cody says without looking up.
“Nah,” I grin, dropping into the chair by his workbench. “Need a favor.”
He finally looks at me, looking annoyed by my very existence. “This had better be good. You interrupt my spreadsheet zen for a reason?”
“Your surveillance setup.” I keep it simple. “Can I borrow it?”
Cody’s eyebrow climbs so high it’s practically doing cartwheels. “Why? You trying to become Big Brother, Reid?”
“Hardly.” I waggle my fingers. “I don’t know if you’ve heard the gossip recently, but someone has been sniffing around like araccoon with a mortgage. We’ve been having a lot of issues, and I need to put an end to it before it gets out of control.”
Cody’s face goes from mildly curious to annoyed but intrigued in about two seconds flat. He narrows his eyes, doing the Cody math. “And your cameras are no good?”
“Not good enough. I haven’t managed to capture anything yet.”
