15. Left Behind
Chapter 15
Left Behind
F ury and helplessness rippled through Marcus in equal measure. He should be able to protect Elina. He should be able to safeguard his town. And he sure as hell should be able to defend his own police station.
In hindsight, he should have set up some temporary alarm stuff. Troy had ordered a new system in for him but it wouldn’t come in until later today.
He could have even done patrols on the property throughout the night. Except he’d made love to Elina countless times, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Except her safety.
Word spread quickly, and soon his entire team, and many of his new friends from town and Midnight Security, were on site. They gathered in the soon-to-be squad room.
He synopsized for the group. “After having an experience where Finch, Elina, and I all had the feeling of someone malevolent watching us, we found a trail of butchered animals along the back path, leading right up to the door. This morning, Elina found another one in a drawer upstairs. The back window had been broken enough for someone to shove up the window and get inside.”
“Yesterday, we found an Afghan cigarette stub out in the woods. The feeling of being watched came from that direction as well. I’d like to search the woods more extensively than we did last night and this morning. I’d also like to get the security system installed here at the station as soon as it arrives. I hate imposing on everyone.”
A bunch of people in the group laughed, and Marcus frowned in reaction. He hadn’t said anything funny. He really didn’t like to impose.
Heath spoke first. “You never impose, Arrow.”
Garrett nodded. “You didn’t even ask us to come here today.”
Sam from Midnight Lake spoke up. “You’ve helped every single one of us in the room. Repeatedly. Without question. You’ve put your life on hold and in danger, time and again, for everyone else. We’re here for you. Always.”
Marcus had to swallow hard at Sam’s words and at the nods and confirming words from everyone around him.
Troy nodded at the crowd. “Okay, let’s figure out how to divide and conquer all the shit we need to do. And let’s figure out where this bastard is hiding.”
As the one with the most experience with the electronics, Graham stayed to organize the others to get the security system installed once it arrived.
The rest of Marcus’s team, along with the Midnight Lake group, gathered around the large table where Tansy Cheveyo pulled up a map on her tablet. She and Tessa Flores had a lot of experience with analysis, and they’d helped coordinate several operations in and around Phail. They offered to do it again today. Elina pulled up a chair beside them and offered to help.
Relieved that she would be safe inside the station, Marcus headed out. He and his guys would start where they’d found the cigarette butt. Sam and the Midnight Lake crew, along with their dog, Jetson, would go into the trail system from the other side of the park.
Once in the woods, they followed the trail until they were near the spot where they’d found the butt. Using hand signals, they made a quick plan, but Marcus already knew no one was there. Maybe they’d find more evidence in the daylight.
A trail would be perfect. If the asshole had been careless enough to leave a butt behind, he might not be experienced in keeping himself hidden. That would be good news.
The leaves were changing, but few had fallen. The ash trees always dropped theirs early, but most of the others were still on the branches. Once the leaves dried out more, it would be impossible to move without alerting anyone nearby. For now, the leaves weren’t much of an alarm system.
There was nothing new to find from where they’d found the cigarette. They spread themselves out from there and looked for any clues. About ten minutes in, Marcus spotted a piece of rope, so he made a partridge call. His entire team was skilled in calls for birds that were common around the world. The partridge call let everyone know he’d found something, but it wasn’t an emergency.
Nothing in the immediate area reacted to his call, and he didn’t sense any other humans. His gaze roved the space. The rope was frayed on the end he could see. The rest was hidden beneath the leaves.
The fragment was near a large sugar maple. The abundant leaves would provide good cover if anyone was able to scale the trunk. Had the asshole hidden out in the tree overnight? Tied himself to the trunk to allow himself to sleep.
Vermont was free from large poisonous snakes or any predators that would attack someone in a tree, so it was a good cover.
With his prosthesis, Marcus wasn’t the best choice for climbing, so he’d wait for the others to gather. They’d converge slowly in order to check for more evidence.
He searched the area with his eyes first, then when he found nothing else, he took some photos and then moved around the clearing. No other evidence. The rope wouldn’t hold fingerprints, but it would be something more to add to the evidence they were collecting. More proof of hiding in the woods.
Garrett was the first one to arrive in the clearing, announcing his arrival with a cardinal call. Marcus pointed at the rope and then the tree. With a nod, Scooby moved beneath it, then hoisted himself up onto a branch. In moments, he was invisible to Marcus. Definitely a good hiding space.
As the rest of the team arrived, Marcus pointed up the tree. They all nodded, but no one spoke. Oz pointed in the direction he’d come with a shrug. A potential trail left by the asshole. They’d follow it through depending on what Scooby found.
When Scooby dropped to the ground a few minutes later, he grinned at them all and pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket. Marcus had ensured they were all equipped.
The bag contained a few more Afghan cigarette butts, a scrap of tan fabric, and a candy bar wrapper. Nothing that would help them find the man, but more proof that they would use to nail his ass in court.
Knowing Garrett would have taken pictures and recorded the evidence in place before moving it, Marcus pocketed the bag, and they moved out following Levi.
Sure enough, there were signs that someone had walked through the woods. Not an offense in Vermont. There were probably dozens of people who went off the trails on a regular basis. Most people in town had a healthy respect for the woods and knew how to stay safe.
Levi pocketed a dog toy, and Slick picked up a tennis ball as they walked deeper. Eventually, this direction would lead them to one of the roads leading to Phail.
It was an empty stretch of highway. Their asshole could have parked anywhere along there and walked in. Because people headed into the woods all the time, no one would have thought twice about seeing a car along the side of the road.
But they now knew his pattern.
Unless he knew they were in the woods now, he would follow that pattern. And that was how they’d take him down.
E lina watched Tansy and Tessa with awe. They were like a Special Ops team in how they coordinated the teams out searching and kept everyone in the loop.
Elina was useless there, so she rose to find some way to help. Maybe she could keep working on the renovation with someone.
At that moment, Graham entered the station with a huge box. The security system had arrived. She didn’t know him well, but he was a trusted member of Marcus’s circle. “Can I help you with installing that? I don’t have any experience, but I’m pretty good at following directions.”
Graham nodded, sympathy in his eyes. He knew she was trying to keep herself busy. “Sure. It’s definitely not a one-person job.”
He set the box on the floor and opened it up. Without a word, he passed her a few smaller boxes and then grabbed a tool belt. At the front door, he installed a keypad, explaining each step as they went.
She passed him tools and pointed the flashlight where he asked. “I appreciate you letting me help. I don’t do well with waiting.”
He laughed. “You mean you don’t do well with waiting when the guy you’re crazy about is off doing something dangerous?”
She had to laugh as well. “You’re exactly right.”
“Marcus is one of the best men I know. Since we arrived at Midnight Lake, he’s helped us many times. He’s pretty unflappable, and he’s good at his job. I imagine he was a kick-ass leader in the military. His teammates think the world of him and would do anything for him. He can handle himself.”
Pride filled her at this man’s words. “He impressed the hell out of me from the beginning.”
Graham waggled his eyebrows. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”
Her skin flushed, but she laughed along. It was impossible not to. Graham continued to engage her in easy conversation while they installed another keypad on the backdoor. Then he led her through running wires around the windows and doors. “This will be the most secure station in the country by the time we’re done.”
She could believe it.
“I don’t have the interior cameras for the cells yet, but I do have the exterior cameras. I can do that part on my own, though.”
She rolled her eyes and picked up the camera boxes.
He frowned at her. “Are you sure you should be heading outside? Seems like this man might be focused on you. We don’t want to be giving him a target.”
“It actually seems like he’s focused on Marcus. I want to help ensure he’s protected.”
Graham’s grin was fierce. “I like you, Elina Vasquez. Hope you stick around.”
Warmth filled her as she smiled back. “I think I just might.”
“Good to hear. Arrow will like that answer. Now, hang on while I grab a ladder.”
It was weird having people in her business. Having people know about her relationship with Marcus. She’d never experienced that before, but her life had always been different from the life she was building in this town. At least, the people appeared to approve of her connection with a man who was so central to Phail.
She checked with Tansy and learned the men had found some clues but nothing definitive. They were heading back slowly to ensure they hadn’t missed anything. Everyone was safe.
Graham waved at her to follow, and she found he’d also enlisted Brody to help. Elina didn’t know the man well, either. She learned he drove the snowplow in the winter and ran a small hobby farm throughout the year. He sang Marcus’s praises as they worked.
They were installing the final camera when Marcus and the others returned. It only took a glance to realize they still hadn’t found the man, but they’d found something worthwhile.
Marcus locked his eyes on her as he approached. The slight frown turned into resignation. Probably annoyed that she wasn’t hiding inside.
When he was near enough, he reached down to kiss her softly. “You were careful?”
“I was. Were you?”
His face cleared at her reply, and he grinned. “Yep. We didn’t find him but we found more evidence to use once we’ve got him. He won’t be squirming his way out of this. We now know he’s been watching the town. He actually stayed in the woods last night, so we know where to watch for him. When he uses the same routines, we’ll get him.”
She loved that his confidence was absolute. It might take some time, but he would figure out who had hurt those animals. And he’d stop him. No wonder he was such a good leader.
And no wonder she’d fallen for him.