Beau glanced at Collier before answering her. “Mystic Lake has a relatively low crime rate and a staff of only four police officers in addition to the police chief. When the day shift ends, or if there’s a situation where all of the officers are needed elsewhere, the station is locked up and the department’s phones go to a switchboard in Chattanooga. Only 911 emergencies get routed to a Mystic Lake police officer’s cell phone. Everything else is tabled until morning.”
“Who the heck set that kind of policy?” she demanded.
Beau cleared his throat. “I did. We went four years without a single call at night and then we were short of needed officers during the day shift because of staffing the station twenty-four seven all the time. I decided to move everyone to the day shift and instituted a partnership with the Chattanooga sheriff’s office for phone coverage after hours. Like I said, there are only four regular officers. Do the math.”
“Now I understand my brother being killed. He could have been chased or stalked or whatever and never had a chance in a town with no law enforcement to speak of.”
Beau gave her an incredulous look. “I couldn’t convince you to go to the station this morning. And now you expect me tobelieve your brother would have called the police if he thought someone was after him?”
Her face flushed. “He might have, if he was in trouble and had no other option.”
“Wait,” Collier said. “Your brother’s name is Esteban? And you’re Sierra?” His eyes widened. “No way. You’re a Covington?”
She blew out a disgusted breath. “Give me back my shotgun. Now I have to kill him.”
Collier took a quick step back.
“She’s kidding.” Beau gave her a sideways glance. “I think.”
She crossed her arms, remaining silent.
“What’s the plan, Acting-Chief Collier?” Beau leaned back against one of the trees.
“Uh…well, I suppose we don’t have much choice. We should retreat, return to my truck and head down the road a bit, stay out of sight until reinforcements arrive.”
“Definitely an option,” Beau agreed. “Probably the safest one.”
“For cowards,” Sierra complained.
“You have a better plan?” Beau asked.
“We tried a frontal assault. Or, at least, we would have if you hadn’t interfered. What’s the situation at the back of your cabin? Any way we could circle around and surprise them?”
Collier chuckled. “If you have some mountain climbing equipment. The back of his house is on stilts, sunk into the bedrock. It’s a fifty foot drop off his deck, straight down.”
“We can’t cower here and wait on the police,” she said. “By the time they get here, those guys might sneak off in the woods and will be long gone. We need to catch them and find out who they are.”
Collier looked from one to the other. “Why? What’s really going on here that, one, there are apparently cameras inside the chief’s cabin and, two, you both seem to want to catch theseguys? And don’t tell me it’s all about justice. What’s this really about?”
“You’re right,” Beau said.
“I am? Right about what?”
“Not you, Collier. Sierra. We can’t wait here and let them get away. Either of you notice anything? Like how quiet it is now?”
Sierra’s eyes widened. “They’re not shooting anymore.” She grabbed her phone and checked her app, running through the more recent video in addition to the live feed. “They headed back through the foyer about five minutes ago. All of them. Four guys.”
“Show me.” Beau scooted closer and watched her run through the video. “Stop. Back up. There. See that?”
She studied the screen, zooming in on the frame. “Caramba. They’re getting away.”
Beau grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. He passed her the shotgun and took out his pistol.
“Uh, guys. What’s going on?” Collier pulled out his gun.
Beau and Sierra took off running through the woods toward the cabin. Collier called out and hurried after them.
They all stopped at the tree line, right where they’d started. The silence from the house was almost as eerie as the earlier gunfire.
