Chapter 10 Marco
Marco
Eagle River is exactly the kind of place where people can disappear.
Small.
Quiet.
Protective of its own.
A town like this closes ranks fast.
Strangers are noticed.
Outsiders are remembered.
Which means Laney chose well.
I arrive in a borrowed truck with a borrowed identity.
No suit.
No security.
No announcement.
Just a man looking for a woman who doesn’t want to be found.
The mountains rise behind the town like silent guards.
Snow still clings to the higher ridges.
People walk slower here.
Talk slower.
But they see everything.
The tavern sits at the center of town.
That’s always how these places work.
One building where everyone eventually ends up.
Information hub.
Social center.
Sometimes a battlefield.
I park two blocks away and walk the rest.
Inside, the tavern smells like wood smoke, coffee, and beer.
Warm.
Loud.
Alive.
I take a seat at the bar and order a beer.
The bartender slides it toward me without asking questions.
Locals glance my way.
Just once.
Long enough to mark me as new.
Then they go back to their conversations.
Small-town courtesy.
Or small-town surveillance.
And that’s when I see him.
Saint.
I recognize him immediately.
From the surveillance photos.
From the security reports.
From the way he sits at the end of the bar with his back to the wall and his eyes on every door.
He watches the room like it owes him money.
Like every stranger is a potential threat.
He’s bigger than I expected.
Broad shoulders.
Quiet presence.
The kind of man who doesn’t need to prove anything.
And the kind of man who doesn’t miss much.
Our eyes meet briefly.
Just a second.
But it’s enough.
He marks me immediately.
Danger recognizes danger.
Interesting.
Because if Laney is here…
He’s the reason she’s still alive.
Which means he’s not just standing in my way.
He’s standing between her and the people trying to kill her.
I take a slow drink from my beer.
And start planning the conversation that’s about to change everything.