Chapter Twenty-One
D ale’s mind raced as he and Sadie entered her house before Cooper, the tension they’d just spent a blissful hour eliminating now back with renewed force. Mac, RJ, and Dean were already inside, their faces set with the same grim determination that had been on Cooper’s when he informed them about Hunter discovering the second machete—this time at the beginning of the driveway at the ranch.
What the hell was going on?
First, the machete at Sadie’s, and now this. If it hadn’t been clear before, it was now. Whoever was behind these threats was sending a message. But what that message was, they still didn’t understand.
“Sheriff’s got the machete,” Mac said as soon as Dale and Sadie stepped into the living room. His tone was all business, the kind that signaled this was serious—more than they had even imagined. “He and two deputies are scouring the area at the ranch for more evidence, and Sinjin and Hunter are still there, helping out.”
Dale nodded, unease tightening in his chest. He glanced at Sadie, noting worry etched in her pretty face. He set a hand on the small of her back and guided her to the couch, his stomach knotting along the way. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything would be fine, but even he didn’t believe that right now. Not until they knew what they were dealing with.
The air in the living room was thick with unspoken concerns. Even Tesla must’ve felt it, since he’d bypassed his word mat to jump on Sadie’s lap.
Mac leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he began to speak. “We need to figure out what these machetes mean. We know through the photos Hunter sent us that the one at the ranch is exactly the same as the one in Sadie’s garage. But we don’t yet know if there are any prints or identifying marks on this new one.”
“My guess is no,” RJ stated with a shake of his head.
The group nodded in agreement, even Sadie. She sat between him and Cooper, petting Tesla with one hand while setting her other on Dale’s leg, as if the contact kept her calm. He automatically covered her hand with his and entwined their fingers. She squeezed his hand in response, and he felt her relax into him a little.
“Well, we’ll still have to wait for official confirmation,” Mac stated. “It’s as if someone’s going out of their way to make sure we know they’re around without leaving any clues behind.”
RJ crossed his arms, his expression grim. “They’re being brazen, leaving it out in the open like that. They definitely wanted this one noticed.”
“That worries me,” Dean said, joining the conversation. “Whoever this is, they’re not trying to stay hidden. They’re making a statement. A bolder one.”
Dale ran his free hand through his hair, trying to piece together what little they knew. “But what’s the connection? Why the ranch? Why Sadie’s garage? What are they trying to tell us?”
He blew out a breath and shook his head. What was he missing? He knew there was an obvious explanation, and the fact he hadn’t figured it out yet frustrated the hell out of him. His father had been seriously injured, Sadie had been threatened more than once, and the poor woman needed her life back.
He was failing them. For the first time in his life, he was facing a problem he didn’t know how to solve.
If he only had one more clue.
As if on cue, Dale’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Maybe it was Gabe, about to provide that clue. Releasing Sadie’s hand, he dug out his phone, expecting to see the sheriff’s name on the screen but when he saw his brother’s instead, his heart rocked—he hadn’t been updating him. Cas still had a few weeks left of missions, and a few weeks left to make up his mind about his Navy future. After their last phone call, Dale had decided not to contact his brother until whatever was going on here was over. The guy had enough on his plate.
He answered on the second ring. “Cas, what’s up? You okay?”
“Just got back in country ,” his brother replied, using slang for he just finished a mission. That explained why his voice came through laced with fatigue and something else—worry. “I had a bad feeling. What’s going on? Give me an update.”
Dale hesitated for a moment, still not wanting to burden his brother with the mess, but right now, his gut was screaming at him to do just that. He always listened to his gut. “I’m at Sadie’s with some of the guys. Let me put you on speaker.” After placing the phone on the coffee table at the center of everyone in the room, he hit the button. “It’s been a rough few days, Cas.”
“How so? Is Dad all right? And Sadie?”
She shifted forward slightly, still petting Tesla. “I’m fine. So is your dad.”
“Good,” Cas said, relief evident in his tired tone. “So, what’s happened?”
“We found a machete in Sadie’s garage the other day,” Cooper replied before Dale had the chance.
“Then today,” RJ chimed in, “Hunter found another one at the beginning of the driveway at the ranch.”
There was a pregnant pause on the other end of the line, the silence heavy with tension. “What kind of machete?” Caspian finally asked in a stiff voice.
“Colombian Hawkbill,” Mac supplied.
Dale frowned. “Why?”
Did his brother actually know something? God, he hoped so. They needed a damn break. And fast.
“Send me a photo of it. Now,” Cas ordered, his tone rigid, and the timbre sent alarm racing through Dale’s body.
“On it.” Cooper yanked out his phone. “No reason for Dale to break the call.” The guy tapped his screen a few times before nodding. “Done.”
An uneasy silence prevailed. Sadie’s hand returned to Dale’s leg, and he covered it with his again. This whole thing was ridiculous. Like a weird version of cat and mouse, with no rhyme or reason, but a lot of waiting to escalate their worry.
He was damn tired of it.
“Son-of-a-bitch.” Cas’ muttered oath rumbled through the phone. “That’s a calling card.”
“Exactly what we thought,” Dale said, concern knotting his stomach. “Do you happen to know whose it is, Cas?”
“I know exactly whose it is,” Caspian replied, his words clipped. “That style of machete was used as a signature on a mission from twelve years ago. We took out…” His brother paused to clear his throat. “It’s the mark that the head of a Colombian cartel, Miguel Fernando Ortega used personally.”
Dean scratched his jaw. “I remember hearing about that mission. It was in Bogota, right?”
“Correct,” Cas answered. “But that piece of shit is dead, and as far as I know, the rest of the operation was shut down.”
Dean nodded. “It was.”
Dale frowned. “Then who the hell is using the signature?”
“Don’t know,” Cas muttered. “But I aim to find out.”
Alarm shot through Dale again as the implications of what his brother was saying began to sink in. “You think this could be connected? After all these years?”
“I don’t think, I know,” his sibling replied in a deadly serious tone. “Sadie and Dad are not the real targets. They’re ploys to get to me. I’m coming home. I’ll be there by morning.”
His shoulders stiffened. “You can’t just go AWOL.” He knew how much his brother valued his duty and commitment to the SEALs.
“I’m not going AWOL,” Caspian stated. “I’m taking leave. My superior will grant it when I show him these photos. I’ll be on the first flight out.”
“Text Cooper your ETA and info, and we’ll meet you there,” Mac said, and once again, Dale appreciated how much the guys were going above and beyond for them.
“Roger that,” his brother acknowledged.
Dale exhaled. “Cas, you sure you need to be here?”
“I’m sure. And don’t worry,” Caspian said, his voice hard as steel. “I’m not letting this happen again. Whoever’s behind this is going to wish they’d stayed buried with the rest of that cartel.”
Knowing his brother’s words were probably literal, Dale inwardly cringed and snuck a peek at Sadie. Thankfully, her attention was on her cat, who was purring in her lap.
“See you in the A.M.,” Cas said before hanging up.
Dale’s mind raced with the new information. Now, maybe they’d finally get somewhere, although he wasn’t sure how, if Miguel Fernando Ortega was dead.
“At least we finally have a lead,” Cooper said, ever the optimist.
Mac nodded, setting his phone on the arm of the chair, his face unreadable. “I’ve already got Carter and Rylee digging into that cartel, and informed Hunter and Sinjin of what we could be possibly dealing with.”
Dale retrieved his phone and shot a quick text to Gabe, filling him in on everything Cas had disclosed.
Sadie touched his arm, and when he met her gaze, his chest tightened at the concern clouding her eyes. “So, what does this mean? Are we in more danger or less danger? Am I not a target? And is Cas coming here giving them what they want?”
All good questions.
He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “It means we’re dealing with something bigger than we’d originally thought. But now that we know, we’ll adjust accordingly.”
“We’ve handled much worse,” Cooper reassured.
“Yeah.” RJ smiled. “Don’t sweat it.”
“As for you being a target, I don’t know,” he said, truthfully. “But I’m going to assume you are and not let you out of my sight.”
She nodded. “Roger that.”
Although Dale saw bravado in Sadie’s beautiful eyes, he also saw fear lurking in their depths.
As they fell silent, each lost in thought, the gravity of the situation settled over them like a dark cloud. The threat they were facing was real, and it was coming for them. But Dale knew one thing was certain—they wouldn’t back down until the danger was eliminated.
“I don’t think I should stay here,” Sadie said, her voice steady but tinged with worry. “It would be safer for everyone if I wasn’t here, in town. The last thing I want is for something to happen to the people I care about—or to the neighborhood—because of me. What if we go somewhere out of the way?”
Dale’s protective instincts kicked in, and he frowned as he considered her suggestion. “You have a point, but we don’t need to leave town completely. The ranch is isolated enough that we wouldn’t be putting anyone else at risk, and it still has the security system in place. We can control the situation better there without having to worry about neighbors.”
Mac nodded thoughtfully. “The ranch is a good idea. It’s away from populated areas, and with the security set-up Sinjin and Hunter have been reinforcing, we’d be able to monitor everything closely.”
The fact the second machete was found there didn’t concern Dale. It reinforced the safety of the ranch. Whoever left the machete at the beginning of the driveway had known they could no longer get far on the property.
“Makes sense,” Cooper agreed. “We can set up a solid perimeter at the ranch. It’s secluded, and we know the land. Anyone trying to get close will have to go through us first.”
Dean and RJ exchanged approving glances. “It’s the best option,” Dean stated. “We’ll have eyes on everything, and no one’s getting through without us knowing.”
Sadie glanced down at her cat snoozing on her lap. “Now I just need to figure out what to do about Tesla. He doesn’t like to visit other places. If I take him somewhere new, he immediately runs and hides there and it takes hours to find him.”
“He can stay home,” Mac said without hesitating. “I’m going to post Rylee here and Dex next door to keep an eye on everything, so Tesla can stay here with Rylee.”
Sadie exhaled into a smile that actually reached her eyes. “That’ll be perfect. Tesla loves Rylee.”
Dale felt a wave of relief as he looked around the room, realizing that everyone was on the same page. The ranch was the best choice—it was remote enough to avoid collateral damage, but close enough that they could still manage the situation effectively. He felt a renewed sense of determination. They weren’t just reacting anymore, they were taking control.
“All right.” He rose to his feet then turned to offer Sadie his hand. “How long will it take you to pack a bag?”
She set Tesla on the cushion Dale had just vacated then slid her hand in his. “Ten, maybe fifteen minutes,” she replied as he helped her to her feet.
“Good.” He nodded. “That’s all I need to run next door and grab my stuff.”
Mac and the others were now all standing too. “I just alerted Sinjin and Hunter of your imminent arrival. We’re heading to headquarters to gear up.” Exactly what Dale intended to do next door. “Then we’ll be back to escort you there. And we’ll cover the grounds and these two houses. You focus on staying safe, and we’ll handle the rest.”
“Roger that.” He nodded.
Sadie offered a small, appreciative smile to the group. “Thank you, all of you. I know this isn’t easy, but it feels like the right move.”
Dale agreed, but he also knew moving a target from one location to another was the best time for an attempt. But there was no way in hell, he was going to let anything happen to Sadie.