Naomi stepped out, looking at him with a mix of dread and realization. “She’s gone, isn’t she?”
“She’s in the BMW. She’s headed for Sylva.” Grant grabbed his keys from his belt loop, his eyes dark. “She’s driving straight into something she doesn’t understand.”
“Grant, wait?—”
“I’m not waiting,” he snapped, already heading for his truck. “She has no idea what she’s walking into. Varga is out there. And she’s driving a neon sign.”
Naomi watched him go, a knot forming in her gut. “If they clock her,” she whispered, “she doesn’t get a second chance.”
38
The Ridge
High above the valley floor, Scout Wilson lay prone on a ledge so narrow most people would have had a panic attack just looking at it. To get here, he’d had to hike the back spine of the ridge and rappel down thirty feet of jagged rock face, but for Scout, this was the only place he felt truly at home.
He adjusted the focus on the long-range viewing glass, the heavy lens capturing the glint of the sun on the Cessna’s fuselage miles below. Burke had tried to promote him to Sergeant three times in the last two years, but Scout had no interest in a desk or investigating petty shoplifting at the local Walmart. He was a tracker, and right now he was the only one who could see the “X” on the map.
“Boss, we’ve got movement,” Scout’s voice crackled over the encrypted line, his tone steady despite the altitude. “Cessna just touched down. Didn’t even kill the engines. They’re refueling on the fly.”
He watched through the glass as two men stepped off the wing. Even from this height, he could tell they weren’tlocals. They moved with a clinical, predatory efficiency. A black Escalade—part of the Hollis fleet—slid onto the tarmac.
“Two passengers just loaded into a black Escalade,” Scout reported, his eyes never leaving the glass. “One of Wade’s hands left it for them. Tag is Delta-Xray-Niner-Four-Seven. They’re heading for the main road. They look like they know exactly where they’re going, Burke.”
* * *
Sheriff
Burke dialed Caitlin. “Hey, are you and Izzy together?”
“No,” Caitlin said, her voice echoing through the Bluetooth in her SUV. “Izzy went into town. She said she needed some retail therapy at Lulu’s. Why? What’s going on?”
“What the hell…” Burke hissed, rubbing his face. “Caitlin, she’s supposed to be on the farm. Tell her to—never mind. I’ll handle it.”
He ended the call and immediately hit Grant’s number. Grant answered on the first ring, his voice a low growl over the roar of his truck engine.
“I’m in Sylva,” Grant said before Burke could even ask. “I’ve got eyes on the BMW. She’s parked in front of Lulu’s. I’m sitting two doors down, waiting for her to come out.”
“Good. Stay on her,” Burke said. “Scout just called it in from the ridge. Two men landed. They’re in one of Wade’s black Escalades. I’ve got a BOLO out, but if you’ve got eyes on Izzy, I’m leaving her to you.”
“I’ve got her,” Grant said, his grip tightening on the steering wheel as he watched the shop door. “I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
Izzy stepped out of Lulu’s, a garment bag draped over her arm. She looked relieved, as if the simple act of buying a dresshad restored some sense of normalcy. She didn’t see Grant’s truck tucked behind a delivery van. She hopped into the silver BMW and began the winding climb toward the Country Club.
Grant followed, keeping a disciplined distance. He pulled into the gravel overflow lot at the Club just as Izzy parked near the main entrance. But as she stepped out, his blood turned to ice.
The black Escalade Scout had identified pulled into the VIP circle just twenty yards away. The two men got out and walked toward the heavy oak doors.
A cruiser rolled slowly through the lot, tires crunching on the stone. It pulled up alongside Grant’s truck. Deputy Luke Hale rolled down the window.
“Burke said you were watching her,” Luke said, nodding toward the entrance. “I tailed those two in the SUV up here from the valley. They just went inside.”
Grant looked at the Club, his eyes dark with a mix of fury and fear. “Yeah, I’m watching her, Luke. I’m watching her be a damn fool.”She’s in there with Cal Hollis like she hasn’t got a care in the world.”
“You want me to go in?” Luke asked, his hand hovering over his belt.
“No,” Grant said, his voice dropping. “If we cause a scene, we tip our hand. Let’s just see what these boys are up to, and then Burke will tell you how to proceed.”
The interior of the Country Club was a world away from the grit of the ridge. Izzy checked her garment bag at the cloakroom, smoothed the front of her silk blouse, and followed the maitre d’ toward the terrace.
