Page 91 of Twilight Tactics
Elena had never unpacked the backpack she’d been planning to take for her previous trip. Now she simply opened it and double-checked everything. What would Sully say if he knew what she was planning? Ha. That didn’t take much imagination.
He’d call it reckless. Possibly dangerous. And he’d be right.
But he didn’t understand what it meant to leave family behind. To wonder every day if they were okay, if they missed you, if they ever forgave you for leaving. She had to chance it.
She scribbled a quick note and left it on her kitchen counter. If something went wrong, at least they’d know where to look. Most likely, she’d be back before anyone realized she was gone. She had time to kill before she had to leave, so she cleaned her home, then decided to head up the mountain, take it slow, and enjoy the ride.
Okay, she was just plain impatient for the time to pass so she could finally see her family again. She shouldered the backpack and headed out the door toward the barn.
“Elena?”
She turned to see the same guard walking toward her, a deputy next to him. “Yes?”
“Deputy Lane got a message from the sheriff.”
Elena set the pack on the ground and nodded. “Okay. What’s up?”
“Sheriff wants to know if you know a man named LaVoy Hawthorne.”
She stilled. “The name is familiar, but I can’t say I know anything about him really. Why?”
“He’s involved with the preppers and the mob. He’s hurt alot of people and is calling a lot of the shots with the prepper group.”
“I see.”
He nodded to the pack. “Headed somewhere?”
“I’m headed to meet my dad.” But now she wondered if she should. If Hawthorne was behind the attempts on her life, then maybe she shouldn’t. But she wasn’t going into the compound, so she shouldn’t be anywhere near the man.
“All right, well, be careful.”
“That’s the plan.”
The two men left, and she grabbed her pack to head to the stable.
It was quiet when she arrived. Most of the ranch hands had returned and were helping with repairs after the drone attack. Elena saddled Harley, murmuring reassurances as the horse sensed her tension.
“Let’s do this, boy. We’ve got a reunion to get to.” She hoped.
She had no idea what would happen at the meeting place but hungered to hug her father and sister again.
Elena took the trail that headed north around the lake, avoiding the main house and repair crews. The path wound through dense forest before opening to rolling hills. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the landscape as she urged Harley into a steady trot.
While she rode, she crafted dialogue in her mind, then tossed it. She had no idea what she would say to her father. To Iris. Years of imagined conversations evaporated. She was excited and yet a little angry too. After all, what did you say to someone who ran from you when you saw them in town? She bit her lip at that memory, but it made sense if Iris felt threatened. Scared to approach her. The anger fizzled. The excitement remained.
An hour later, Elena dismounted not far from the clearing where she and Sully had spied on the meeting betweenthe preppers and the mob. She secured Harley to a tree with enough slack to graze, then checked her watch.
Definitely early.
She moved down the trail and positioned herself behind a large oak with an unobstructed view of the clearing. The firepit held the remains of cold ashes. Her lids grew heavy, her sleep-deprived body finally able to relax. Okay, fine. She’d take a short nap. If anyone came, she’d hear them.
Sullypulled into the ranch’smain gate, fatigue pressing down on his shoulders. The last twenty-four hours had been brutal, and his emotions were all over the place with Piper’s betrayal, Ollie’s flight and rescue, not to mention the shoot-out in the woods.
He parked near the main house and stepped out, scanning the property for any sign of Elena.
David, Maya, and Gideon met him at the door, their faces tense with questions. “Well?” Maya asked.
“Amato confessed,” Sully said. “It’s kind of what we figured out. The mob and the preppers are definitely working together.”
