Page 22 of Avenging Angel

“What brings you out here besides spending time with your family?” Brad asks.

“What makes you assume I don’t live in the area?”

“Well, for one thing, you, your overprotective cousin, and your uncle seemed unfamiliar with the area,” Brad replies.

We aren’t, but that’s what Vinny led him to believe.

Dottie delivers the food, asks if they need anything else, and then leaves when they both tell her that they’re set. Daisy continues the conversation.

“We’re here on a hunting trip.”

“Nice. I occasionally catch myself a decent trophy when I have the time. What are you hunting? Bears, elk, or deer?”

Daisy groans in delight when she takes her first bite of the waffle, which distracts me almost as much as I’m sure it does Brad. She takes a moment to savor the food before she answers his question.

“Yeah, something like that.”

Chapter eight

Daisy

Owen’s face stares back at me from Angel’s laptop while Scott stands behind him with his arms crossed. They’re both in northern California with the same scouting mission.

“Right now, it’s a waiting game more than anything,” my brother says. “We’re at the largest campground closest to Lassen Volcanic, but it’s surprisingly busy. I imagine it will be even busier on Columbus Day weekend. Then there are the umpteen dozen other campgrounds of various sizes within a 20-mile radius. We’re spread too thin to cover the entire area.”

At the dinette in the kitchen that’s well in view of the screen, Angel finishes the breakfast burrito I ordered for him from the diner. “We’re in the same boat. We’ve only scratched the surface and already have two potential threats. This week, we’re mapping out possible places for someone to hide for a week. We’re only covering the western side of the national park, and there are over 200 miles of ATV trails alone. The hiking trails are twice that. There’s no way to cover that much ground with the three of us.”

“As far as your potential threats go, I looked into Brad Callahan for you.”

“That was quick. I just called you 15 minutes ago as I was leaving the restaurant.” My brother works fast, but even I’m impressed.

“It wasn’t a deep dive, just a cursory search. So far, his story checks out. He’s only been working for the park system for five years just like he told you. When he’s not traveling, his home is a modest three-bedroom house in Virginia Beach, and he pays his taxes on time. Actually, he pays them early. Before that, he worked as a corporate accountant for an international firm called Dominion Atrix Group, or DAG for short—making well into the six-figure range.”

“Why would he give that up to work for $50,000 a year?” I ask no one in particular.

“Burnout. Travel. Freedom to see America on the government’s dime,” Angel replies. “There is something to be said about traveling the open road in an RV. If you think about it, it’s almost like a retirement job.”

“But he’s only 46 years old. That’s too early to retire,” I argue.

Scott leans closer to the screen until his face is right next to Owen’s. “It’s not really retirement if he’s still working. Look at me. I retired from the military at 38 years old. I invested wisely enough so that I don’t have to work. I do it because I love the job.”

“You also married a billionaire.” His wife, Grace, isn’t simply an investigative journalist. She had inherited her father’s tech company—a company she never wanted. Recently she sold that company to their childhood best friend.

Scott chuckles. “There is that. It just goes to show that doing what you love isn’t always about the money, Daisy. Brad is single and doesn’t have any debt to his name. His only credit card belongs to the NPS and is used for travel expenses. For everything else, Brad pays in cash. While it’s unusual, it’s not a crime.”

When there are two succinct raps on the door, everyone in the room goes silent—including Owen and Scott at the other end of the conversation. Angel tosses his takeout container into the trash. “Don’t worry. It’s Vinny.”

Once Vinny enters the tiny cabin, Angel grabs the two chairs from the dinette set and drags them over next to me. He catches Vinny up on the conversation, forgetting that his partner could hear everything through his earpiece. Even I had forgotten that Vinny was still actively listening in because he hadn’t spoken a word since telling Angel to quit voicing his commentary.

Getting us back on track, Angel scoots over so he can clearly see Owen and Scott on the tiny screen. “If Brad has only been working for the park system for five years, he probably isn’t our guy. But my gut says we shouldn’t dismiss him yet. Can you place him at the last four or five abduction sites?”

“I can certainly dig deeper if you don’t have the warm fuzzies about Brad.”

Angel leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. “Your sister just went on a date with him. I’ll leave it up to you how deep you feel like digging.”

It takes a great deal of restraint to refrain from rolling my eyes. Angel knows that it was a fishing expedition, not a date.

“Here’s the thing,” my brother warns. “I can find out what kind of shaving cream Brad Callahan buys or what kind of toilet paper he uses if that’s what you need from me. However, it would be better if Angel used his credentials to run a search until FBI Director Finnegan gets the full cooperation of the CIA. After the FBI arrested the former CIA Director, I don’t see that happening without stepping on a few toes.”