“I’m coming with you,” Liam announces.
“You are?” I look to Chief who usually doesn’t allow civilian help.
“Kane’s already on it. What’s another?” He shrugs his shoulders.
“Alright. Well, let’s get going. I want to get back to my girl.” I turn to Chief. “Oh, by the way, I have a family emergency. I won’t be able to come back in unless you need me.”
He laughs. “Just stay on call.”
“How are we splitting up? I’ve got my machine in the trailer,” Stoll asks.
“I have enough for everyone else,” I say. “Are we going right up to the cabins, or do we want to go part way in on the machines and hike the rest of the way?”
“If he’s up there, I say we go in hot. He won’t be able to clear out whatever equipment he’s got in there without us seeing or hearing. It’s hard enough to get a truck through there when you’re paying attention and taking your time. So unless he’s a wizard at driving, it’ll be fine,” Liam says.
He’s spent more time than any of us out there. When Old Man Robinson took down his barn, Liam went out there and took the wood. Liam was about the only one that he liked; they were both grumpy assholes.
“Okay. Let’s load up.” I walk over to the detached garage on the edge of my property and grab the keys off the hook on the wall, tossing a set each to Liam and Stoll. I take my machine that Liam was using earlier.
We head out down the path until we reach the edge of my property where the path ends. That’s where I veer right onto the path that used to be here for Old Man Robinson. I lead the other three until I park at the back of the cabins. Once all the machines are off, we sit and listen for any movement. We’re still hidden in the thick brush of trees so anyone in there could have heard us approach but still not see us.
“Alright, let’s go. Liam you’re with Wyatt at the front, Stoll on your own in the middle, and I’ll get this back one.” The three of us nod at Chief and take off on our assignments.
The front cabin is the only cabin with a separate bedroom instead of just one open studio room.
Liam follows close behind me as we creep along the tree line.
“You’ll save my ass if someone is in there, right? I’m pretty badass, but I don’t have a gun,” he whispers.
“Jesus, Liam.”
“What? I’m just saying, I’ll fight him off you, but…”
“Just shut up.” I shake my head, leaving the cover of the trees and breaking entry into the house with my gun drawn.
The living room and kitchen are empty. There’s so much dust and dirt on the floor that I can see my own footprints. I relax a little, but still move forward to clear the other room and bathroom.
“Clear,” I call out.
“Thank fuck.” Liam exhales with his hands on hips.
“You could never be a cop.”
My radio crackles. “Keaton. Middle.”
“Come on. Let’s go see what Evander found.” I punch his arm on my way out. I can’t believe this guy, volunteering like a badass then making sure I’d cover him. My own brother. As if I’d leave him to the wolves.
Walking over to the middle cabin, we enter and find a small setup.
“Looks like someone’s been camping out here.” Stoll points over to a few folding tables with computers set up.
A camping chair. A card table with discarded takeout. A Rebels bag catches my eye. Fucker was in my goddamn town. Was he there the same night we were? Was he that close to her, and I had no idea?
“Kane is on his way,” Chief says, putting his phone back. “I want him to comb through these computers. He says one of you needs todrop him a pin. I don’t even know what the fuck that means.”
It only takes Kane about fifteen minutes to make it out here, which is impressive, considering he was at the station still.
“What do we have?” Kane asks, coming into the cabin.
