CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
C HAPTER T HIRTY -S EVEN
In the passenger seat, Matt adjusted his earpiece. A half-moon glowed high in the clear night sky. Darkness had fallen in the time it had taken for warrants to be obtained and the team to gear up. Fueled by anticipation, adrenaline that had been trickling into Matt’s bloodstream for the past several hours increased like a faucet had opened.
Behind the wheel, Bree pointed to the screen on the dashboard computer. They couldn’t see the buildings from the road, but the map was on satellite mode, showing a clear picture of the property owned by Denver Sawyer. A clearing held a small house and a barn. The rest of the land was covered in trees. The property backed to Grey Lake.
“I don’t see a dock,” Matt noted.
Bree leaned over and squinted at the screen. “He could have a small boat tied on the bank, but I don’t see where he could be hiding a significant vessel.”
“The biggest thing he could have is a motorized inflatable.”
Bree opened her vehicle door. Patrol cars parked behind them, with the K-9 unit at the back. She went to the rear hatch and opened it. Matt took the AR-15.
“Let’s do this,” Bree said as the team gathered. “Just like we planned. Radio silence unless absolutely necessary. We have no idea what or who we’re going to find, but we want to sneak up on all of them.”
They checked communications before heading in. They crept down the driveway. Tree branches blocked the moonlight. Matt’s eyes adjusted to the dim, but he watched the shadows. The woods were thick enough to hide a man. He glanced back at Collins and Greta. No one could hide from the dog, which was why Matt loved having a K-9 team on board.
They approached the end of the driveway. The house turned out to be a trailer. Matt took a long breath, then listened. Branches rustled overhead as the wind ruffled the canopy. The team separated into three units, with the K-9 bringing up the rear. Matt and Bree circled around the trailer. The shades were drawn over the windows, but no light glowed inside.
Silently, Matt and Bree approached the front door of the trailer while Todd and Zucco circled around back. Across the yard, light shone from the windows high up on the barn walls. Matt pointed, and Bree nodded. She gestured toward the trailer, indicating she wanted to clear it first. She stepped up on the cinder block that served as a front step, then tried the doorknob. The door opened with no resistance. He glanced at Bree. Her face reflected his own surprise.
But then, the lock was so flimsy, why bother using it? Matt could have broken down the door with one kick. He stepped into the trailer. Bree came in behind him. She held her flashlight and used it sparingly, holding it low, shielding the light, and shining it into dark spaces. In the bedroom, a squawk startled Matt. His heart rate surged as he swung the AR-15 around. Bree’s light illuminated two parrot-type birds in a cage.
Matt exhaled and lowered the rifle.
The trailer was small enough that they cleared it in less than a minute. Then they went out into the night, quietly pulling the door closed again.
With hand gestures, Bree indicated that the team was to move on to the barn search. They surrounded the building. Greta danced and emitted a soft whine. Collins quieted her with a whispered command but held her back.
The team surrounded the barn. An earsplitting scream pierced the hot, dry air. The sound reverberated in the humidity. Every hair on the back of Matt’s neck stood straight up. There was no mistaking that distinct vocalization.
The cougar.
Matt and Bree approached the barn entrance. The rolling doors weren’t completely closed, and a sliver of light sliced through the inch-wide gap. Matt put a shoulder to the door and peered through the opening. Claire stood under a bare light bulb. Her hands were bound and tied to the center post in the barn aisle. Behind her, Matt could see the cougar in a cage. The stressed animal crouched and cringed. Matt could sense its distress, and he couldn’t imagine the other animals’ primal response to having an apex predator housed right next to them. They all had to be terrified. Matt squinted into the shadows, trying to locate Denver. But his field of vision was limited. He needed to open the door.
The cougar’s head swiveled. Its gaze locked with Matt’s, and it screamed again. He went cold inside, like he’d just been hooked up to a chilled IV.
Denver stepped into view, his profile to Matt, a handgun aimed at Claire’s head.
No! Matt wouldn’t let her die. He lifted his AR-15 and nudged the door open wider. His finger curled around the trigger, but the angle, the shadows, and the dimness didn’t give him the best targeting view. “Drop the gun!”
At his flank, Bree took aim. “Sheriff’s department. Drop the weapon. Hands in the air.”
“Fuck you!” Denver stepped sideways, putting Claire between him and the door and blocking any clear aim from either Matt or Bree.
I should have taken the shot from the doorway.
Denver moved forward and untied Claire’s hands awkwardly with one hand. He dragged her back against his body, using her as a shield.
“Put it down, Denver.” Bree moved to the right.
Matt shifted left. If they separated enough, one of them should be able to get a clear shot. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
“Stop moving!” Denver shouted. “I’ll shoot her.”
“You don’t want to kill her,” Matt said. “She’s your sister. She’s your blood.”
“She’s ruined,” Denver snapped. “She doesn’t remember me. She’s afraid of me.”
“You’re pointing a gun at her head,” Matt said. “Of course she’s afraid.”
Bree moved ever so slightly farther to the right.
“Stop!” Denver’s face reddened. He dragged Claire backward, toward the animals. He pulled her next to the cougar cage. Agitated, the animal swiped a huge paw at them, but the bars were too close together for it to make contact. The animal growled, mouth opening, teeth gleaming in the harsh light. Those teeth looked big enough to rip off a head.
In one move, Denver opened the cage and dived for the wall. The lights went out. Blackness fell over the barn.
And the cougar screamed.