26. Wolf
WOLF
Something was wrong.
The problem was I couldn't prove it.
I stood near the north fence line.
Hands in my jacket pockets.
Eyes scanning the darkness.
The ranch slept behind me.
Mostly.
Trigger was inside drinking coffee.
Saint was pretending to watch security cameras while actually stealing pie from the refrigerator.
Some things never changed.
The wind shifted.
Cold air rolled down from the mountains.
I stopped walking.
Listened.
Nothing.
No voices.
No movement.
No animals.
Just silence.
The kind of silence that felt wrong.
My instincts stirred again.
The same instincts that had kept me alive through years of Ranger deployments.
The same instincts that had gotten me home.
Slowly.
Carefully.
I lifted my binoculars.
Studied the ridge overlooking the ranch.
At first I saw nothing.
Trees.
Brush.
Darkness.
Then—
A flash.
Tiny.
Brief.
Moonlight reflecting off glass.
Binoculars.
Someone was watching.
Every muscle in my body tightened.
The reflection vanished instantly.
Too late.
I'd already seen it.
Someone was up there.
Watching the ranch.
Watching Sadie.
Watching Beast.
Watching all of us.
I lowered the binoculars.
Reached for my radio.
"Trigger."
Static.
Then—
"Yeah?"
"I've got company."
The humor disappeared from his voice immediately.
"Where?"
I gave him the coordinates.
Silence.
Then:
"I'm on my way."
Good.
Because this was no longer a feeling.
No longer a suspicion.
Now it was a fact.
Someone was out there.
And if someone was watching?
Someone was planning.
Gerald
The Ranger had seen something.
Gerald knew it immediately.
The man on the fence line stopped.
Looked directly toward the ridge.
For several seconds Gerald thought he'd been spotted.
His pulse hammered.
Then the Ranger lowered his binoculars.
Spoke into a radio.
Gerald cursed.
Darren looked up.
"What?"
"We need to move."
The scarred man glanced toward the ranch.
Saw the activity.
The Rangers gathering.
Then nodded.
"Let's go."
The group retreated deeper into the trees.
Quiet.
Fast.
Experienced.
Not military.
But dangerous.
The kind of men who spent their lives avoiding police.
Avoiding consequences.
Avoiding prison.
A quarter mile later they stopped.
Darren crouched beside a fallen log.
"What happened?"
"One of the Rangers saw us."
The criminal grinned.
"Good."
Gerald stared.
"What?"
The grin widened.
"They're looking out here now."
"I know."
"They're focused on the woods."
Understanding slowly dawned.
Darren pointed toward the ranch.
Toward the lights.
Toward the house.
"Which means they aren't looking somewhere else."
Gerald's stomach tightened.
Because suddenly he understood exactly what the man meant.
And exactly how dangerous the plan had become.
Wolf
Trigger arrived three minutes later.
Rifle in hand.
Coffee still in the other.
I pointed toward the ridge.
"Somebody was up there."
The former Ranger studied the darkness.
"You sure?"
"Yep."
Trigger sighed.
"Beast is going to be thrilled."
That earned a snort.
"Thrilled isn't the word I'd use."
"No."
"It isn't."
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
Because we both knew Beast.
Knew how protective he was becoming.
Knew what would happen if Gerald got close to Sadie.
Then Trigger frowned.
"What is it?"
I couldn't explain it.
Not exactly.
The feeling had returned.
Stronger.
Sharper.
More urgent.
I looked away from the ridge.
Toward the ranch.
Toward the house.
Toward the barn.
Toward the road.
And suddenly every instinct I possessed started screaming.
Not the ridge.
Not the woods.
The ranch.
The target had never been the Rangers.
It had never been Beast.
It had never been the sheriff.
The target was Sadie.
And for the first time...
I thought Gerald might be planning something much worse than stalking.
I reached for the radio.
Immediately.
"Wake Beast."
Trigger's expression hardened.
"What did you figure out?"
I never took my eyes off the house.
"He's done playing games."