Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
O live and Reid pulled to a stop in the middle of the forest, and Olive gave Reid a questioning look. This wasn’t a cabin. It was trees.
“We’ll have to go the rest of the way on foot,” Reid said as he put his truck in Park. “Weeds and underbrush covered the road to the cabin years ago, and I let it stay that way. I figured it would help keep people away.”
“If we need to go on foot, then so be it.” Olive offered a resolute nod. “Let’s go.”
They climbed out, and she let Reid take the lead. He wove between the trees of the forest, headed toward the cabin. She followed behind, watching every step and bracing herself for the unknown.
A shiver suddenly caught her muscles.
She could trust Reid, right? He had said he’d do anything to keep his property.
Just how far would he go?
She remembered that will she’d found—one she hadn’t asked him about yet. She was going to do it after they cleaned up from the barbecue. Then Trick had shown up with the news about Tevin, and she hadn’t had the chance.
Was Reid somehow involved in this mess?
The idea still seemed far-fetched. Plus, Reid had been at the ranch all day. There was no way he’d wandered out here to do something with Tevin himself.
But he could have gotten one of his guys to do his dirty work. He had enough money to hire whoever he wanted.
Olive didn’t like that thought. She didn’t want to believe Reid could be behind these things. Besides, what would his motive be? She couldn’t think of anything rational.
As she stepped over a large rock in her path, Olive accepted Reid’s outstretched hand to help her stay balanced.
She landed on the other side and kept moving.
“How many people know this cabin is out here?” Olive asked, realizing just how isolated she was. Miles separated her from anyone besides Reid. She was more likely to run into a bear or a moose than another person.
She shivered at the thought.
She was a trained fighter, but she didn’t know this terrain like Reid did. If he wanted to take her down, he could.
No, those thoughts were ridiculous. Reid was at the party when Tevin disappeared. She was overthinking this.
Reid had proven himself to be nothing but trustworthy since she’d known him.
“Not many people know this cabin is out here,” Reid answered. “Obviously, some of the old-timers do. But probably no one I’ve hired within the past few years. There’s no reason for them to come out this way.”
“What about people in town? Is there anyone local who’d know about it?”
“Not really. These cabins haven’t been used in decades. The only other people who might know they’re out here would be . . . well, I don’t know. Maybe some of the hunters I’ve caught on my property.”
“You’ve caught hunters on your property?” This was the first Olive had heard of this.
“More than once. They shouldn’t be trespassing and, if I catch them, I make sure they know that. I’ve even had a conservation officer come out on occasion to monitor the property. The last thing I want is one of my men or my cattle to get hurt because of some trigger-happy hunter.” Reid’s words held conviction.
“Are you a hunter yourself?” She kept walking, hoping this cabin wasn’t much farther away.
“Maybe if I had more time I would be. Maybe not. I’m not sure. I just know that ranching keeps me busy enough. I like to be hands-on. My dad taught me that.”
“Seems like a good principle. Besides, you have a lot of property, animals, and people to manage.”
“My job isn’t for the faint of heart, for sure.” Reid paused and nodded ahead of them. “There it is.”
Olive looked at the old, dilapidated cabin sitting on the edge of the creek. Only the light of the full moon above allowed her to see it through the darkness.
Was that where Tevin was?
They were about to find out.
Olive pushed herself in front of Reid.
He might be all alpha male, but she was in charge of security right now.
“It might feel counter-intuitive to you, but I can’t let anything happen to you under my watch,” she whispered. “Let me go first.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She crept toward the cabin, anxious about what she might find inside.
As the beam of her flashlight hit the wooden step leading toward the front door, she paused.
“A footprint,” she whispered to Reid.
“Does it match Tevin’s?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s too big. But it looks fresh.”
Reid bristled beside her. He clearly didn’t like it when someone messed with his property.
“I’m going to open the door,” she whispered. “You have your gun?”
He raised it, weapon already in hand.
“We need to be on guard, just in case,” she told him.
“I’ve got your back.”
Olive liked the sound of that.
She tried the knob, but it wouldn’t twist.
She counted to three and then kicked. The wood cracked and splintered as the door flew open.
She shone her flashlight around, anxious about what she might see.
Her light came to a stop on a figure sitting in the corner.
Her breath caught, and she whispered, “Tevin.”
He’d been tied up and gagged. But his eyes were open, and he stared at her.
She wanted to run to him. To make sure he was okay.
But first she had to make sure this place was clear.
Olive shone her light around the main room, which still had miscellaneous furniture scattered and turned over.
She didn’t see anyone except Tevin.
The kitchen stood on the other side of the cabin. She checked around the counter and under the table.
Still no one.
That left one room through a doorway at the back.
Reid gave her a look and nodded, indicating he’d go with her, just in case.
She walked to the room, still holding her gun.
As she shone her light around the space, an old bed and dresser came into view. She checked the closet and beneath the bed.
No one was there.
She slipped her gun back into her holster and then ran to Tevin. She pulled the gag from his mouth as her gaze swept over him. Blood trickled from his forehead, one eye was swollen, and he winced as he shifted.
Someone had done a number on her colleague.
Anger burned through her at the thought.
“Are you okay?” she murmured as she rested her hand on the side of his face. “I was so worried.”
“I knew you’d find me,” Tevin said, his voice raspy and dry. “You’re like a real-life Wonder Woman, right?”
“If only I had an invisible jet.” Her voice cracked, betraying her worry.
“That would be awesome, wouldn’t it? And the Lasso of Truth? They’d totally be game changers.”
Olive’s smile faded. She wished she had water to offer him, but she didn’t. Maybe Reid had some in his truck.
“I need you to tell me what happened,” Olive told him. “But first I need to call Rex before he sends the entire army out to find you. He threatened to, you know.”
“Sounds like Rex.”
She quickly dialed Rex’s number and gave him the update.
“Good work,” he told her. “Call me back and debrief me on what happened as soon as you can. For now, take care of Tevin.”
“I will.”
Reid was already on the phone, probably with Cooper giving him the update as well.
The last thing they wanted was someone else to be injured while they were looking for Tevin. These mountains were dangerous at night—even for those who knew the land and were experienced navigating it.
Olive pulled a knife from her pocket and cut the binds from around Tevin’s wrists and ankles. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Just a little shaken.” He rubbed his wrists. “Have a bit of a headache. But otherwise I’m okay.”
She helped Tevin to his feet and led him to an old wooden chair in the kitchen to sit down.
“What happened?” Olive pulled a chair in front of him, sat, and studied his face, anxious to hear his story.
“I’d be more than happy to tell you. But we should get out of here first in case these guys come back.”
These guys? She didn’t like the sound of that.
“Okay, if you think you can walk,” she told Tevin. “We can save our debrief until we’re safely in Reid’s truck.”
Reid stood on one side of Tevin and Olive on the other. Tevin limped slightly as if he’d twisted his ankle—a detail he hadn’t mentioned. Olive didn’t bring it up.
Instead, she and Reid helped Tevin through the woods. As they did, Olive kept her ear attuned to any sounds that might alert her that danger was close.
She heard nothing unusual.
Finally, they reached Reid’s truck and helped Tevin into the back seat. Olive climbed in beside him.
Reid found a water bottle that had been stuffed in the door and handed it to Tevin. “It’s all I’ve got right now.”
Tevin thanked him and took a long sip.
As he did, Reid took off. Sitting in one place too long could be risky.
Olive peered at Tevin, more worry coursing through her. “You feel like talking now?”
He let out a breath. “I was just doing my own thing and minding my business. Then I heard some footsteps behind me. I expected to see someone about to confront me about flying the drone and telling me it was illegal or something. Instead, I saw two men wearing black masks.”
Two men? Were Edgar and Jon a part of this? Tevin had put a tracker on Edgar’s car. What if he’d realized that and come after Tevin?
“What next?” Reid glanced in the rearview mirror at them.
“They didn’t say anything to me,” Tevin said. “They just jumped me. Hit me over the head. I blacked out. Then I woke up in the cabin.”
How did they get him there? Olive wondered. Did they carry him? Drag him? Drive him?
She hadn’t seen any tire tracks to indicate that had happened, so they probably hadn’t done that.
Tevin was pretty scratched up. Maybe they had dragged him there.
“Were they gone at that point?” Olive asked.
“No, they were still there. They dumped a bottle of water on me to wake me. Then they asked me a million questions.”
“Did you break cover?” Olive asked.
“No, I stuck to the cover story. They didn’t want to believe me, but I think by the end I had them convinced. By that point, they didn’t know what to do with me, so they just left.”
“Did they indicate they were coming back?” Reid asked.
“It wasn’t clear. They whispered a lot. I could tell these guys were trouble, people you don’t want to mess with. If they had any inkling I might survive out there, then they would have probably silenced me for good. Instead, they left me to rot, starve, or freeze—whatever came first.”
Olive shivered again. “I’m glad we found you when we did.”
“Me too,” Tevin murmured. “I knew you would, Olive. You’d never leave someone behind.”
Emotion rose in her at his words.
They were true. She wouldn’t leave one of her colleagues behind.
But one day, that might not be enough to save someone.
Thankfully, today wasn’t that day.