Chapter 7
As they pulled into the small town of Jackson, Wyoming, the sun had just ducked below the horizon.
“One of my contributors is putting us up in a ski resort. We’ll have a fundraising dinner there tomorrow night where I’ll give a speech.”
“So, we’re free until the dinner tomorrow night?”
Liliana shook her head. “I want to spend the day meeting the people who work in the resorts, not the owners. They’re voters, too.
Though they didn’t contribute to my campaign, I need their votes.
They need to know I’m not in the pockets of the wealthy.
I’ll represent them as much, if not more so, than those who can afford to buy their way into Washington. ”
“And every vote counts.” Dax turned onto the road leading to the resort perched halfway up a mountain. “I’m sure the workers outnumber the owners.”
She nodded. “By a long shot.”
Dax pulled into the unloading zone in front of the resort and shifted into park.
He got out and rounded the front of the truck to the passenger side.
A porter was there before him, opening Liliana’s door. “Will you be checking in?”
Liliana nodded.
“What name is on the reservation?” he asked.
“Lightfeather.”
The porter’s eyes rounded. He turned and snapped his fingers at the valet standing nearby.
The porter took Dax’s duffel bag from the back seat, and a valet asked for his keys.
Dax cupped Liliana’s elbow and stepped onto the walkway leading into the building.
“Miss Lightfeather, the manager will see to your needs.”
A man dressed in a black suit and red tie, with a gold name badge proclaiming him as the manager, hurried toward them.
“Miss Lightfeather, we’re delighted to have you stay at our establishment.
Please, follow me. You’ll be staying in the presidential suite, courtesy of the owners.
” He handed her his business card. “If you need anything during your stay, all you have to do is call me, 24/7. I’ll answer and make sure we satisfy your every desire. ”
“Thank you,” Liliana looked around. “I don’t suppose my assistant, Rachel Swain, has arrived…?”
Before the manager could answer, a woman’s voice called out, “Lili, there you are!”
Dax turned to find a woman hurrying toward Liliana, rolling a silver, hard-sided suitcase.
She didn’t slow as she neared.
For all Dax knew, she could be an overzealous fan or a saboteur with a suitcase full of explosives. Dax didn’t know the woman and didn’t trust anyone, no matter how normal she might appear. He stepped between the woman and Liliana.
Liliana touched his arm. “It’s okay, Dax. Rachel’s my assistant.”
His eyes narrowed. Dax wasn’t convinced the woman wasn’t planning on killing Liliana. “What’s in the suitcase?”
“My clothes, makeup and toiletries.” Liliana stepped past him and grabbed the suitcase handle. “Thank you so much for bringing my things. I didn’t relish going to tomorrow’s formal function in a scuffed skirt suit.”
Rachel frowned. “You are quite the mess, aren’t you? Do you hurt anywhere in particular?”
Liliana nodded. “I’m fine. My pride took more of a beating than my body.”
Rachel turned to Dax, though her words were for Liliana. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your fella?”
Liliana laughed, the sound dying too quickly. “Rachel…this is Daxton Young…my fiancé.”
“What?” Rachel exclaimed. “Your fiancé?”
Liliana nodded, her cheeks flushing dark pink. “My fiancé,” she repeated with more conviction and held up her left hand.
Rachel squealed, grabbed her hand and stared down at the mountain ring.
“What? When? How did I not know about something as important as a boyfriend and potential husband? This changes so much.” She took Liliana’s arm and steered her through the lobby to the elevators.
“Girl, we need to talk, and you need to spill all the details.”
“Don’t we need to check in?” Liliana asked.
Rachel held up two keycards. “Done. Let’s get up to your suite.
I have some news, and I’m sure you two have some as well.
” She punched the button on the elevator and waited for the doors to open.
Once the door opened, Rachel, Liliana and Dax entered the elevator and rode the car up to the top floor where they opened the door to the penthouse suite.
Dax stepped through first. “Stay here until I clear the area.”
Rachel shot a glance at Liliana. “I like the way he thinks.”
Dax moved through the rooms one at a time checking all the places someone could hide. He returned a couple minutes later. “All clear. You can come in.”
Once inside, Rachel closed the door and turned to face Liliana and Dax. “I talked to the police after you left Riverton. They reviewed footage from some of the businesses close to the Blue Moose Tavern. They identified the person who sabotaged the stage in Riverton.”
“Yeah?” Dax shot a glance in Liliana’s direction. “Who was it?”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Jason Monahan. Didn’t you recently receive notice he’d been released from prison?”
Liliana nodded.
Dax frowned. “Is Monahan someone you sent to jail?”
Liliana nodded again. “Yes.”
“What did they see in the footage to make them think this guy set the charges?” Dax asked.
“He carried a backpack toward the stage a couple of hours before the event. They didn’t put it all together until ATF showed up, shortly after you two left. They found the remains of the black backpack, dusted for prints, got enough of a match and tracked Jason to his mobile home.”
“Wow,” Liliana shook her head. “That was faster than I would’ve expected.
Rachel grinned. “The good news is, an agent with a trained bomb-sniffing dog came with them. The dog went through the entire mobile home and laid next to a hidden compartment in the back of a closet.”
Liliana gasped. “He had more?”
Rachel nodded. “Jason had enough C-4, fuses and detonators to blow up half of the state.”
Liliana’s brow knitted. “You’d think time in jail would’ve straightened him out.”
“It’s like you suspected,” Dax said. “He’s probably bent on revenge since you put him in jail.”
“Do they know where he got the C-4?” Liliana asked.
“They traced the unused C-4 to a mining company outside of Gillette,” Rachel said. “Apparently, they had a break-in a few nights ago and had yet to report it. They were scrambling to identify what all was missing.”
Liliana snorted. “Now, they know. We’re fortunate.
“Do they have security footage of their storage facility?” Dax asked.
Rachel nodded. “There was more than one man involved in the break-in. Both wore black ski masks and gloves. No prints were left.”
“Monahan had an accomplice who could have more explosives stashed away,” Dax said. “Is he talking? Has he told them who the other guy is?”
Liliana’s assistant shook her head. “He lawyered up as soon as they apprehended him. They took him to Cheyenne for questioning and to lock him up. I’ll check back with the state criminal investigation team tomorrow to see if they got him to name the other man involved.”
“Thank you for being on top of it.” Liliana hugged her assistant. “I feel like I fell off the face of the earth after the explosion.”
“It might be just as well that you got out of town, and no one knew where you were going,” Rachel said. “If someone is still bent on putting you out of the race, they’ll follow your schedule.”
Liliana smiled across the room at Dax. “Dax is a highly trained combat veteran. He’s promised to protect me.”
“Good,” Rachel said. “I was going to suggest you hire a bodyguard. Having Dax around will be even better. He’ll be with you at all times.”
“And he’s got a friend with a retired Military Working Dog trained in bomb-sniffing.
” Liliana sighed. “I hate that we have to worry about explosives, but I’m glad he’s coming.
I don’t want any bystanders injured just because they came to hear me speak.
Joseph Kuntz and his dog will be here later this evening and will make a pass through the banquet hall tomorrow before the event begins.
We’ll want to make sure he has accommodations. ”
Rachel made a note on her smartphone. “I’ll get with the resort manager and make it happen. It’ll put my mind at rest, knowing the room is clear. Are you still going to conduct your meet-n-greet in town tomorrow morning?”
Liliana nodded. “I think it’s important to the working class to know I’m there for them, no matter who threatens me.”
Rachel frowned. “Are you sure you’ll be safe?”
“I can’t campaign if I can’t get out and talk to the people.”
“Could we at least wrap you in bubble wrap or an armor-plated vest?” Rachel’s lips twisted. “When you’re out among the people, you’re exposed to any nutcase who thinks he can take a shot at you.”
“I don’t like being a target. It puts others at risk for collateral damage, but I can’t let whoever is after me win. I refuse to die and won’t concede this election until all the votes are in.”
“You have to make it past election day and then some,” Dax’s jaw hardened. “However, I do like the idea of you wearing an armor-plated vest.”
Before he finished his sentence, Liliana was shaking her head.
“I’m not going to bulk up with armor plating when the people around me have none.
” She drew in a deep breath. “God, I hope innocents aren’t hurt.
Is it wrong of me to keep campaigning? I could be putting others at risk. Sounds selfish to me.”
“We don’t know what else this person will do to get to you,” Rachel said. “You can’t step back from your campaign now. You’ll lose momentum.”
“But am I thinking of the people or my own career?”
Rachel gripped her arms and stared straight into Liliana’s eyes. “You are the best candidate and will do great things for the people of our state. But you can’t if you’re not in a position where you can help. Hiding out in a bunker and losing the election will accomplish nothing.”
“She’s right,” Dax said. “You can’t quit now.” He liked how Liliana’s assistant helped her boss to maintain focus on the prize. The woman cared about her and wanted her to be successful.