Page 83 of Cole

The decision was made for him when a rifle cracked from somewhere to his left. The man jerked backward, grabbing his leg, and went down hard.

Timothy emerged from the trees, his own rifle still raised. "Figured you could use some help."

Frazier appeared on the right, creating a loose triangle of protection around the women. "The miners at the camp are backing off. Most of them were only armed in case they came across a bear out here. But they’re not into shooting a person. But Penson's got a team for security, still looking for a fight."

"How many?" Cole asked.

"Maybe four or five still armed and mobile."

Logan’s voice came over the radio. "Federal agents are at the camp. They can hear the situation over your open line. They're coming in with full authority to make arrests. Can you hold position?"

Cole looked at the rocky outcropping, then at Janice, exhausted and frightened but still on her feet. Cheryl stood off to the side where he could keep an eye on her. "We can hold."

"Good. Keep everyone safe, Cole. You're almost done."

They reached the outcropping, scrambling up the rocks to create a defensive position. It wasn't Fort Knox, but it was better than standing in an open forest.

Cole settled Janice and Cheryl behind the largest rocks. "Stay down. Don't move unless I tell you to." He eyed Cheryl suspiciously, but she lifted her hands.

“I promise… I won’t do anything.”

He was good at reading people, but had no idea if they could trust her. “You do one thing to harm Janice, and I’ll deal with you myself.”

Cheryl’s eyes widened as she jerked her head up and down.

Timothy took position on the left, Frazier on the right. Cole covered the most likely approach from the camp.

"How's ammunition?" Cole asked quietly.

"Okay. Got a spare magazine," Timothy admitted.

"Same," Frazier said. "But I don't think we'll need much more. These guys aren't exactly special forces."

As if to prove his point, two miners appeared through the trees, moving with none of the caution trained fighters would show. They were just men with rifles, probably thinking the money Penson paid them was worth the risk.

They were wrong. "Last warning," Cole called out. "Drop the weapons and walk away. Federal agents are already here."

The men hesitated, looking at each other uncertainly. The sound of a helicopter approached, its blades cutting through the air with the distinctive whoop.

A shot rang out, and Cole dropped, turning around. A miner behind them jerked, his rifle falling as he grabbed his shoulder and went down hard, cursing loudly.

Janice's hands shook as she lowered the gun, her chest heaving as she breathed hard, staring at what she'd just done. She lifted her gaze, and Cole nodded as he walked over.

Cole took the Glock back gently. "Perfect shot. Right where it needed to be." His eyes held respect and something deeper. "You just saved my life."

"My dad made me learn," she said, her voice unsteady. "Said any vet working in rural areas needed to know their way around firearms. I never thought I'd actually..."

"You did good, Janice." Cole squeezed her shoulder. "Real good. Now let's get you out of here."

"Federal agents!" a voice boomed from above. "Everyone drop your weapons and get on the ground! This site is under federal authority!"

The two miners, held at bay with Timothy’s and Frazier’s weapons pointed at them, dropped their rifles so fast they nearly fell over themselves. Their hands went up, and they sank to their knees in the snow.

Within minutes, the forest filled with federal agents from the FBI and EPA, their jackets clearly marked, moving with professional efficiency but not with the aggressive tactics of a military raid. They spread out through the trees, issuing commands for everyone to stay down and keep their hands visible.

Cole lowered his rifle carefully, making sure his movements were slow and deliberate. The last thing they needed was a federal agent mistaking them for hostiles.

"Federal agents!" he called out clearly. "We're Lighthouse Security Investigations from Montana. We're the ones who called this in. There are four of us plus two civilians we extracted."