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“There isn’t much there. It couldn’t have taken you more than ten minutes to gather it.”
“I took a few minutes to enjoy the day.”
“A storm is brewing. I feel it in my bones.”
The sun was shining through the cabin windows, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. His gaze turned to Dorcas and then Eunice. “Get these kids out from under my feet. Take them in the back room and keep them there until I say otherwise.”
Becky wanted to ask when they would meet up with the rest of their community. She had a few friends left, but being here in Central Pennsylvania with only Reece, Byron, and their respective wives, Dorcas and Eunice and their children, made her feel completely alone and left out. This wasn’t her family. It almost made her wish she’d never suggested they explore this area for their new compound. If it hadn’t been her suggestion, he certainly wouldn’t have insisted she join them here. Of course, if she hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to knock the crown from Reece almighty’s head and give it back to the rightful heir. Her son.
The door opened again and Reece’s brother, Byron, motioned for Reece to join him outside. She strained to hear what they were saying, and the few words she was able to catch sent tingles down her spine. They were going to leave the cabin before Malachi got there. All her planning had been for naught.
Malachi sat beside Cate. They were parked cattywampus and half off the road, tucked behind a row of hemlocks and pines to obscure his truck from the sight-line of the cabin. Two men, including the one he’d checked in earlier that week, had been in and out no less than a dozen times in the past thirty minutes, but he couldn’t figure out what they were up to.
Cate trained her binoculars on them as they continued their trips to and from their brightly colored Volkswagen bus. “I’ve never seen a VW bus in that shade of green before.”
“Have you seen many of them?” he asked.
“Just a few. One was multi-colored. One was so rusted I couldn’t tell its color.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Someone in Orangeville owns a powdered-blue. I’ve seen it a few times.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure if lime green is better or worse than powder blue.”
“It’s a tough call.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Were you able to identify what they’ve been carrying?”
“Definitely not live animals, but that’s about all I can tell you. Looks to me like they’re packing up to leave. Probably checking out.” She set down her binoculars. “I can’t believe they had that much junk in a cabin that size.”
A cloud covered the sun, turning the late afternoon gloomy, and the branches on the evergreens swayed erratically. “Looks like the weather is taking a turn,” he said.
“I noticed that. They weren’t calling for any precipitation, but with this wind, I’d be surprised if snow isn’t on the horizon.”
“You can taste it in the air. I’d be willing to bet on snow.”
“I’m not taking that bet,” she said.
“Are we all set for the stakeout?” he asked. “Hopefully this weather won’t mess up our plans for tonight.”
“Everything is lined up. We’ll have two game cops backing us up.”
“We driving together?” He preferred to drive himself places, but didn’t want to sound chauvinistic by suggesting he drive.
“Might as well take separate cars. That way, we can use one of them to block one of the access roads, but we can sit together while we wait if you want.”
Yes. He wanted. Stakeouts were less boring when you had someone to talk to. And it certainly didn’t hurt if that someone was easy on the eyes. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter Eight
An inch of wet snow covered the roads as Cate wound her way through Loyalsock State Forest. The branches overhead formed a tunnel with snow raining down on her Ranger with every gust of wind. This night could turn treacherous, even deadly, if it ended in a chase.
Reaching the turnoff for High Knob overlook, she made the left onto Dry Run Road. While they couldn’t be certain where exactly the exchange would take place, a forest ranger had noticed an unusual amount of activity near the overlook for this time of year. Cate hoped their impromptu task force was up to the challenge, and at least one of them would be in the right place to take down the poacher and the buyer. She’d asked Malachi to take a huge risk in not apprehending the poacher earlier, and now she prayed she hadn’t made a monumental mistake. Second guessing herself wouldn’t help anybody though.
Malachi. She saw his truck and pulled up beside him, putting down her passenger window so they could talk. “Ready?”
He hopped out and leaned into her window. “I know we had our strategy all worked out, but I’m thinking with this snow, we’d be risking our lives if we let them get near the overlook. Let’s request barricades to block off Forest Road completely, so we don’t end up with a high-speed chase that’ll have anyone flying down the mountain.”
It was something she should’ve thought of herself and probably would’ve if she hadn’t been so busy questioning her choices. She nodded. “We could park down on McCarty and watch Dry Run Road from there.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He slapped her hood and got in his own vehicle then followed her down to McCarty. He used his truck to block the road, then hiked back and climbed in beside her with two insulated bags, which he set at his feet before taking out his radio. Icy pellets bounced off her windshield. “So much for the snow. Just what we need is ice. I’m going to check in with the forest guys, unless you already took care of it?”
