28. Chapter 28
Chapter twenty-eight
The next two days were spent programming the drones and hatching a final plan to catch the rustlers.
Curt’s team had decided that the surest way to catch them was to bait a trap.
Cal and Brice needed to move two hundred head into another pasture.
This way they would make it easy for the rustlers and locate them near a road.
There was a stand of trees and brush close enough to the herd to give them adequate coverage.
Cal still wasn’t convinced it was an inside job, but he was willing to go along with the plan.
Curt and the team were sure that it was.
There was no other way for the rustlers to know where the herd was being kept.
The ranch was just too big—and it wasn’t a coincidence that they knew just where to look.
They had gone over a list of ten new hires from the last year. A huge ranch like this was the perfect place for a person to hide if he didn’t want to be found. If a man was willing to work hard, they were hired on the spot.
Brice and Cal didn’t think that any of the new hires were necessarily the culprits.
But they were suspects. Mitch treated everyone with suspicion.
After being shot in Hilton Head, and nearly watching that bullet hit Isla, he’d never let his guard down again.
They were just wrapping up the meeting when the door opened.
A red-haired woman and a little boy came into the room.
“Dad, sorry to disturb you all. Do you have a minute? We’ve got a situation down at the stables.”
“Gentlemen, this is my daughter Allison and her son Liam. Allison, these gentlemen are from Dark Knight Security. I’ve hired them to put a stop to this rustling ring and bring Hayden’s killer to justice.” He then went around the room and introduced everyone on the team.
Mitch looked over at Curt who seemed to have sat up taller. Mitch could tell Curt was interested in the pretty woman who had just entered the room.
Liam threw himself at Cal. “Grandpa, Star’s sick. Mommy says we have to call the doctor.”
“Then we will,” Cal said as he hugged his grandson tight. He looked up at his daughter. “What’s going on, Allison?”
“Star’s having a hard time delivering her baby. Bob can’t turn the foal around, it’s breech. I called Trent, but he said it would take him two hours to get here. Star doesn’t have two hours. Can we send the chopper out to get him?”
“The chopper’s not available. I wouldn’t be able to get it here for at least two hours.”
Curt cut in. “Cal, you can use my chopper. Ma’am, if it’s okay with you, I can pick him up for you, if you’ll show me where to go.”
“You’d do that? Thank you so much!” Allison said, her eyes lighting up. She turned to her son. “Liam, go see Mary. Tell her I said it was okay for you to have some cookies.”
“Okay, Mommy. Can I have three?”
“Two, now go on. I’ll see you soon.” Liam ran off and Allison turned to Curt. “Mister Olson, I’m ready whenever you are.”
“It’s Curt.”
“Curt, then.”
“We can be ready in ten minutes. You can meet me at the helipad.”
“I’m ready now. Dad, can you call Bob and let him know I’ve gone to get the vet?”
“Not a problem, sweetie,” Cal said. “We’ll keep an eye on Liam while you’re gone.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Smiling at Curt, she said, “Ready?”
Mitch shook his head—just like that, the biggest forever-bachelor on Earth was going to fly off into the sunset.
Mitch, Cal, and Brice organized the plan they hoped to implement in two days. Mitch loved this part of the game. Planning strategies was a strength of his. As a SEAL, the planning was the most important part of the operation. A well-planned attack meant they were in and out fast without casualties.
Jax, Nick, and Mitch headed back to their quarters. The drones needed to be checked over and the coordinates programmed. Mitch wanted to check out the topography of the area before they cemented their plans.
“Hey, did you check out the way Curt was looking at Cal’s daughter?” Jax laughed.
“I did. I wonder what her story is. The little guy’s really cute,” Nick said.
“Maybe Curt will find out, since he’s spending some alone time with her up in the chopper,” Jax laughed. “I haven’t seen that spark in Curt for a long time. He looked interested.”
“Let’s not get excited, guys. We’re in the middle of nowhere. This job is an in-and-out operation. Hopefully, it’s over soon,” Mitch reminded them. “Now let’s get down to business. We’ve got drones to program.”
The next morning, their plans were finalized. They hoped to take these guys down tonight. Mitch only hoped it would be a one-day operation.
Mitch needed to de-stress and get his head in the game.
He’d been up all night thinking about Isla and how he missed her.
He walked down to the stable and asked to borrow a horse.
He needed some alone time. He would ride and clear his head, which lately was impossible to do.
His mind was filled with memories of Isla and their time together.
Whoever said it got better with time was wrong.
He rubbed at the spot on his chest. Would it ever stop aching?
Allison was at the stable when he went down to ask for a horse. “Hey, Mitch, right?”
He nodded. “I was just wondering if I could have a horse for a few hours.”
“Sure. How experienced are you?”
“My parents own a ranch in Tennessee. Probably rode before I walked,” he laughed.
“I’ve got just the horse for you. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Allison took him to meet his ride for the day. “His name is Wildfire.”
Wildfire stood seventeen hands and was a beauty. He had a chestnut coat that looked like fire in the sunset. “Hey buddy, want to go for a ride?” Mitch crooned as he rubbed down the horse’s neck. Wildfire bobbed his head like he knew what Mitch was saying.
Allison laughed. “He does, don’t you, boy? Let’s saddle him up and he’s all yours. He could use the exercise. He’s my brother’s horse and he hasn’t been ridden much lately. He’s getting lazy.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“Yeah, his name’s Jacob, he’s in the Marines, Special Forces. I miss him. It’s just me, Dad, and Liam up at the house.”
“Can I ask you about your son’s dad?” Mitch asked. As soon as he did, he felt awful. That’s not something you ask a mom. Especially one you barely knew. For all he hated Curt trying to set him up, he was just chomping at the bit to see Curt with a happy ending.
“He’s not in the picture,” Allison said, frowning. “When I told him I was pregnant, he up and transferred colleges without me knowing. But my family is all the family we need. Well anyway, here you go,” she said as she handed him the reins. “Do you know where you’re going?”
“I thought I’d ride out to that outcrop straight ahead. Your dad said there’s a small lake out there. I’d like to check it out.”
“Well, since you were a SEAL, I’m sure you can get there without getting lost. Have a nice ride.”
“Thanks, Allison. It was nice talking to you.” He tipped his hat in the cowboy way and cantered off.
Mitch headed in the direction of the outcrop. Allison said it would take about an hour to get there on horseback. The sun was warm, but the air was cold. Riding on the open range was soothing. The air was crisp. Soon, it could snow.
He rode until he came upon the small lake Cal had told him about.
It was nestled in a band of trees, like an oasis in the desert.
Isla would have loved it here. He lay on a flat rock next to the water, which reminded him of the waterfall on Curt’s property.
The memory of their time there would have to sustain him.
He could almost feel her lying next to him in the dappled sun.
Her warm, sweet breath on his neck as she tucked her head under his chin.
He could almost smell her vanilla scent on the gentle breeze that ruffled the leaves over his head.
He hoped that the sensation of her being by his side never went away.
Well—enough wallowing in his thoughts. Tonight was the night that would hopefully bring down the rustlers, and then he could head home.
He realized home wasn’t the right word. He didn’t have one anymore.
The team had a great dinner on the patio of the log home that night. Cal, Allison, little Liam, and Brice made for an enjoyable evening. Mitch watched as Curt’s eyes followed Allison’s every move.
After dinner, they solidified their plans for that evening. They headed to their rendezvous point just before dark. They didn’t want their headlights to give them away. Curt was staying back at the house just in case they needed the chopper. Cal’s pilot was ready to go.
Jax and Brice were in one truck and Nick and Mitch in the other.
They had chosen this spot because of the two stands of trees on either side of the pasture.
The herd was just where they wanted them, between the two of them.
The sun had just set, and Nick had himself all set up for a long wait.
He pulled out a bag of snacks from behind the seat.
“What could you have possibly brought?” Mitch asked. “We just finished dinner.”
“Mary made us a care package,” Nick said as he looked into the bag. “Chocolate chip cookies, sandwiches, and soda. We have it made. We won’t starve while we wait, that’s for sure.”
“Brice said to leave the windows open and listen for any restlessness in the herd. That’ll be our cue that something’s happening,” Mitch said as he let out a long yawn.
“Makes sense. Boy, it’s quiet out here. I can’t imagine how anyone can round up a hundred head of cattle and herd them into trucks and get away with it. How do they do it? Do they bring in four-wheelers, horses, what?”
“Cal said they use both when rounding up the herd. But four-wheelers make a lot of noise. They’re probably bringing in their horses and maybe dogs.”
“It’s quite the operation, that’s for sure. But they can say goodbye to the wide-open spaces and hello to an eight-by-ten cell.”