Page 5 of Tack’s Bounty

“Well, he had time to leave his gifts,” Shield stated flatly.

Tack headed to the front porch, knowing that he wasn’t going to like what the gifts were. He stepped out on the porch and to the side so he could see the items but not disturb where he remembered the person standing. He’d assumed it was a man from the build, but he hadn’t gotten close enough to confirm. The sweatshirt with a hood pulled up had effectively hidden the subject’s hair and face.

Two squirrels were hung together with one’s front paw hooked around the neck of the other. The squirrels had been killed somewhere else because the only blood was on the carcasses. Nothing had dripped on the ground. He found it interesting that after having a call about squirrels, the squirrels had been used to send a message to try to terrorize Sophia.

He walked back in. “Are you okay?” he asked Sophia.

She nodded, shivering a little. He picked up a crocheted blanket from her couch, stepping closer and wrapping it around her.

“Thank you,” she said softly, pulling the blanket tight.

Two women he hadn’t met but had seen looking through her window were on the couch.

“Did any of you see anything?” he inquired.

“No, I was getting ready to shower. I’m Freedom, by the way,” the shorter, blonde woman offered, smiling at his brothers.

“Nice to meet you. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances. What about you?”

“I’m Lake. I heard your bikes, then heard a thump and ran toward the window about the time whoever it was ran. He was already on the ground and at the edge of the house when I spotted him,” Lake replied, waggling her fingers hi at Stinger.

Stinger was grinning and waving back. Sledge walked in from the front of the house.

“I took pictures and called it in. Since there’s already been an issue, I figured she’d want it documented,” Sledge noted, wandering around the room into the kitchen, pausing at the whiteboard, chuckling at something he read, and moved through the house.

“Do you have any cameras?” Tack asked, sitting on the couch when Sophia motioned for everyone to take seats.

“I, umm, just…” Sophia blushed, pausing.

“She ripped the suckers down last week, and we’re in the process of figuring out what to put up next. Asshole ex-husband had the account in his name and wouldn’t give her access to the cameras,” Lake shot back.

Tack had to wonder if that was the ex-husband’s reasoning all along—to frustrate Sophia enough to leave her without coverage.

“I have to admit that everything I’m hearing is concerning. Until you get cameras up, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone after the squirrels were hung on the porch,” Tack confessed, worried that Sophia might take it the wrong way.

“Well, I’m happy to let any of you big boys stay in my room to keep us safe,” Freedom quipped, waggling her eyebrows at Stinger and Shield.

“Despite that being a wonderful offer, staying in your room would defeat the purpose of having someone on watch. They need to be on the porch or right inside the house, watching outside.” Tack answered, grinning when Freedom pouted.

“Nobody ever lets me have any fun,” she whined.

Sophia stood up, pacing with the blanket clutched tightly around her.

“I hate that I can’t run my practice and enjoy living in my house, but tonight scared me. I’m okay with someone on the porch or in the house. Could this…” she paused, staring off into space.

Tack started to walk toward her but stopped at Lake’s hand on his arm.

“She does this when she’s thinking through a problem. It’s better if you don’t interrupt her,” Lake shrugged.

Tack waited until Sophia seemed to come back when she turned to him.

“Ten days ago, Harvey, my dog who stays in the house with us, was injured. It was after he’d been out running on the farm, and from the wounds, I assumed he’d gotten in a fight with another animal. He had what appeared to be a couple tears from claws, but those wounds could have been made by a knife. I didn’t even consider that a human had done something to him, but now, with all this, I have to wonder. The person would have never been able to hang anything on our front porch if Harvey was in the house like he usually is. I’ve had him in the clinic in a cage because I needed him to rest and heal,” Sophia finished.

“These incidents don’t seem random at all,” Tack observed, wondering what the heck was going on here. The strange abduction call, the cameras that she’d torn down because her ex wouldn’t share the password, and then her dog being injured could all be related. “They’ll need statements,” Tack continued, motioning to the flashing lights coming through the big picture window.

He stepped to the door, opening it for the officers. He listened to Sophia repeat everything she’d told them. He couldn’t understand why these things were all happening, so he dealt with how he could keep her safe.

“We’ll file the reports. I’d suggest getting new cameras installed,” the officer that Tack didn’t recognize from work declared. Tack wasn’t surprised. The Kansas City Police Department was huge, and Tack pretty much was with his SWAT team and not with the other officers.