Chapter 12 #2
This was her domain, not his. If not for the fact these idiots were potentially in danger from Eastman—assuming they weren’t here to help him in some way—he’d have taken photos and then left them to it. Concentrated on the mission. Informed the NPS later.
But his orders meant he couldn’t ignore them.
He swore under his breath. “How would you normally handle this?”
“Approach with a partner and ask to see their hunting license, then get their ID and license plate numbers and have them arrested. Confiscate the game and probably their trucks and snowmobiles too.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah.” She gave a feral smile. “We like the punishment to fit the crime.” She bit her lip. “But Summer is a priority, not these losers.”
“Unfortunately, our orders say to escort everyone out of the area. The Incident Commander didn’t make any exceptions for poachers.”
“They’re armed,” Cas added. “If they are sympathetic to Eastman, then we don’t want them at our backs.”
Cas was right.
“I can arrest and escort them down to Henning Valley about five miles direct west of here.” Nora’s gaze was hard and narrowed. “Get an NPS chopper to pick them up. I could be back in a couple of hours on their snowmobile.”
Sebastian shook his head. He needed the dog here.
“I’ll do it,” Cas offered. “I’ll follow your tracks to the farmhouse. Meet you there.”
Sebastian shook his head again. “I don’t want anyone out here alone, especially with this storm coming.
Let’s go arrest the motherfuckers”—he looked at Nora and winced—“Cas can escort them to the meeting place you suggested. You can show him on the map. We’ll call Novak to organize an NPS pickup for these two so they can be questioned and charged, then have the pilot drop Cas off back at the NPS cabin, preferably with another satphone.
That way Romano can release the drone he has there and use it to help us directly rather than standing guard. ”
Cas looked pissed.
“Makes sense. How do you want to play this?” asked Nora.
As much as he hated the idea of Nora putting herself in danger, this was her field of expertise. “You two approach from the south. I’ll stay out of sight in case one of them tries to make a run for it.”
And he’d make damned sure she didn’t get hurt.
Nora had tied Chance around a tree on the other side of the ridge.
He might have stayed on command—he usually did—but she wouldn’t risk him in this situation.
He was prized for his nose not his teeth.
He was more likely to lick a person to death than tackle them to the ground.
And a knife that big could do a lot of damage.
Just look at the gaping slit along the bear’s belly.
The woman noticed her first.
“Claude.” Her voice was deep and raspy like a pack-a-day smoker. “We got company.”
The man stepped toward his Remington, and Cas casually pointed his sidearm. “I don’t think so, friend. Drop the knife, slowly, all the way over there by the bear.”
The man eyed the weapon, Cas’s calm expression, and tossed the knife lightly beside the bear.
Nora carried her SIG in a double-handed grip. “National Park Service and the FBI,” she announced firmly. She didn’t bother with the usual lead up or cozy conversation. They had more important things to do. “You are under arrest. Hands up. Do not touch that rifle or any other weapon on your person.”
They were ten feet away now, the bear’s eyes cloudy from death and cold. The jaws of an iron-toothed leg-hold trap had almost taken off the animal’s front left paw. Revulsion reared up inside her.
How long had that poor creature writhed and thrashed in agony?
The snow was churned up down to the soil. Blood soaked the ground.
Her eyes flicked back to the poachers. The woman’s breath was harsh, the only noise audible in the quiet of the mountains. The guy though, he was quietly calculating.
Nora knew the bastard was going to run. She could see it in his sly, narrowed eyes. His twitchy girlfriend would probably follow suit.
She and Cas advanced another step.
Claude broke away. Took off. Heading north away from her.
The woman, thin as a stick, scrambled for the snowmobile, and Cas leapt after her. Nora chased the big guy. She was gaining ground when something flew out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground.
Sebastian.
She reached the two of them grappling in the snow. She pointed her gun at the poacher. “Stop attacking a federal agent, asshole. And stop resisting arrest.”
The distraction was all Sebastian needed to flip the guy onto his front and twist his arm high behind his back. He slapped on the cuffs and gave her a grin. “Here’s your poacher, Ranger.”
He dragged Claude to his feet and escorted him back toward the crime scene. “That was fun.”
Cas had the woman in cuffs too. She was sitting in the snow crying. “I told you we shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Shut up, Muriel.”
Muriel sniffed. “I won’t shut up. You never listen to me.”
Nora read them both their rights and found their IDs. Muriel Grassi. Claude Gorlic. “All things being equal, I suggest you remember the ‘right to remain silent’ part of what I just said.”
“Bitch.” The guy glared up at her and then spat near her feet.
“Watch your mouth, asshole,” Sebastian growled.
“Meh.” Nora laughed. “Doesn’t bother me.
I like bitches. I like them a lot better than I like poachers.
” Nora documented the scene with a video, ignoring the man they’d detained as he spewed the usual ignorant bullshit.
“Normally, we’d take the meat and redistribute it to someone in need, but this time we’ll have to leave it.
” She photographed Claude and Muriel at the scene, outerwear covered in brown stains of oxidized blood.
“How many more traps do you have set up around here, Claude?”
He raised his soft chin and looked away. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Came up here for a little R&R and found the bear dead. I was going to take it to the park rangers’ office and report it when I got down there. Instead, you attacked me without warning.”
“Nice story. Somehow, I doubt it’ll fly with the judge considering this area has been closed to the public.
” She looked up into the trees. “And something tells me the FBI is going to be very interested in your phone and computer and seeing what those trail cams might have picked up over the past few days.”
Sebastian’s gaze flew to the trees, and Nora watched him pull out his satphone to contact the IC.
Claude sneered. “Fucking slut.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You think you’re the first poacher I’ve arrested?
The first man? You think your pathetic words hurt me coming from an insecure man-baby?
Grow up. You’re in the twenty-first century now, buddy.
” She shook her head with frustration. Why didn’t this country invest more in education?
Why were so many men threatened by women in power?
“Get them on the sled. We’ll bury the knife and gun and collect them to process for evidence when our other case is done.”
The man’s expression grew sly. “You after Glenn Eastman and his kid?” He spat again, but Nora didn’t let her disgust show behind her mask of professional indifference. “You’ll never find Glenn. He knows these hills like the back of his hand.”
“So, you’re friends with Glenn Eastman, are you?” Could he have been bringing the man supplies?
He shrugged, a sneer parting his lips to expose yellowed teeth.
“We can have you charged as an accessory to murder after the fact if you are aiding and abetting a killer.” Sebastian stood between the man and the woman and looked intimidating as fuck.
Nora tried not to be impressed.
“We weren’t coming up here to help no one.” The woman sniveled. “Claude wouldn’t piss on someone if they was on fire unless there was something in it for him.”
“Shut up, you stupid bitch.”
“Bitch? You asshole. I’ve had enough of your bullshit.”
The man rolled his eyes. “You are welcome to get the fuck out of my house anytime, you skank.”
“Skank? Oh, I’m going. Trust me.” She sniffed and looked away. Nora felt a crack of sympathy for a woman who’d found her backbone a little too late and would probably lose it again before the day was out.
Sebastian had reported the incident to Novak and told him the proposed plan which Novak affirmed. She was worried about Chance, but he was quiet and should be fine. He’d bark if there were a problem.