AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He was intrigued. This seemed like a new graduate, one of the new individuals to have been accepted into the foundation. And he was sure he hadn't seen him before. That was very interesting.
He must follow this man but do so stealthily. In a way that ensured he wouldn't be detected.
If he kept his head low and waited for the right moment, he'd be able to kill again, far sooner than he'd expected.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Gabe strode through the farm, feeling deeply uneasy as he took in the patches of woodland and the outbuildings, the pastures and the crop fields, his gaze moving left and right. The white sweater scratched at his skin, its size slightly too small. It was a necessary camouflage, but at the same time, this blinding white made him feel as if he was standing out, like a blazing sunbeam, in the dark woods and the golden gray fields. And it brought home to him how easily someone else might use it. Anyone he spoke to might also be a fake, wearing a trusted disguise, just as he was doing.
It was obvious to him that someone was hiding around here. Someone had infiltrated this cult - or foundation, as they preferred to call themselves - and was picking people off, one by one.
Who? And why?
He felt determined to find out.
It was amazing how his experience with Cora was building inside of him a strong will to continue doing what he was doing, to be a PI like her, to look into people's problems and to help fix them and provide answers.
She had a passion for what she did. Gabe was beginning to understand how deep it ran, how all-consuming it could be. Once you had dipped your toe into the mystery of a case, it quickly swallowed you up. But the waters could be dark, the situations dangerous and violent, the people evil. And now, even better, he understood why Cora had to fight her demons so intensely.
What a strong person she was. Like a warrior woman. Every time he thought about the fact that they were now together, he felt breathless with surprise and delight.
And nervousness, of course, there was no shortage of that in the mix. He was still scared it might not work. That something would go wrong. That the joy he'd had in being with her might not last. He would do his utmost to try to make sure it lasted, though.
That, he promised himself. Even though this couldn’t be a more difficult situation.
Ever since he’d realized what had happened to Rose, Gabe had known he had a responsibility to set things right, to atone for his father's misdoings.
Rose had been his first love. And then, Buddy Finch had taken her.
He still felt conflicted about it in a way that he was not ready to voice to Cora and knew he never would be. This mission felt deeply personal to him.
He resolved that no matter what it took, he was going to do what he could to find her.
After all, his own father had caused this entire situation. If Buddy Finch hadn’t had eyes for Rose, none of this would have happened. She’d still be okay, she’d be in her hometown, she’d never have been trafficked.
It was his responsibility to help make things right, and he was going to face whatever danger came his way head-on.
There had been danger already, and there would be more. And he had to keep Cora safe, and keep himself on track, and not let the feelings of guilt and blame get the upper hand.
Gabe shook his head. The thoughts simmering in his mind mustn’t distract him from his surroundings.
He kept looking around him continually, monitoring the sights and sounds of this quiet farmland bordered by forest. He was seeing nothing, hearing nothing.
But feeling? The feeling was a different story.
Maybe it was just the oddness of this entire experience or these brilliant white sweaters he was wearing, but Gabe had a sensation that he was being watched.
He turned sharply, scanning the area to see if he might spot someone quickly ducking down or hiding away. He saw nothing, but the feeling persisted, a prickling at the back of his neck. It was like a presence, something lurking just out of sight.
He had a sense of something ominous about this place, something dark and malevolent that was at odds with the quiet farmland, the rows of golden fields, the animals grazing.
Ahead was a hay barn, and from inside, he could hear the familiar thunk-thunk of bales being lifted, forked, and dropped. That was more than just a familiar sound. He could feel the ache in his own arms and shoulder muscles all over again, memories rushing back. There wasn't a country boy in existence who didn't know all about lifting square bales. They didn't come in ones, as they'd wryly joked with each other during long, hard afternoons. Bales came in their hundreds. The job left you tired, sore and also covered in whatever the bale contained. Gabe remembered that some of the places he'd found straw later in the evening were not places you wanted to mention in polite company. And a sharp fragment could get into your sock or shoe and stick there for all of eternity.
He walked into the high-roofed barn.
Two men, wearing brown overalls over their white T-shirts, were hefting a stack of bales onto palettes. As soon as they saw him, they stopped their work, turning and facing him, nodding a polite good morning. Perhaps seeing him was an excuse to take a break from a hard job.
"Good morning," he said respectfully.
