Chapter 30 #2
He looked at each of us in turn before his gaze landed on Palmer. “I think it’s time we discuss the plan going forward,” he said evenly. “Do you want to stay for this conversation?”
Her brows drew together. “Plan?”
August’s eyes flicked to mine in silent question. I gave him the slightest nod. She deserved to be involved if she was going to stay with us.
“I want to lure out the Shadow Stalker,” August continued. “Amos needs to be re-apprehended so that, one way or another, he can face justice for what he’s done.”
Palmer’s hand tightened around her mug. “What’s your plan?”
“We can’t sit and wait for him to strike again or make a mistake.” August braced his forearms on the table. “If he is behind the fires, and I believe that he is, then he’s already trying to send a message.”
“He wants attention,” Reid muttered.
“He wants control,” Graham corrected.
August rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Which brings me to phase one.” He looked at me. “You need to hold a press conference.”
“A press conference?” My shoulders stiffened. “About what?”
“About the fires,” he said. “You speak for the fire department as chief. You reassure the town. You say we believe these fires are connected. You say we are confident the perpetrator will be apprehended soon, that you have a lead.”
“That’ll flush him out?” I asked, doubtful.
“It’ll pressure him,” Fox said.
Graham nodded. “Serial offenders escalate when they feel cornered or dismissed.”
“Don’t mention Amos by name, but imply we know more,” August continued. “Let him think we’re closer than we are.”
I exhaled slowly. I didn’t love the idea of baiting a man like Amos publicly. But I understood the strategy. Push him. Make him react.
“That’s just the first part,” August continued. “The second part is the charity event.”
Palmer’s gaze lifted at that. “The one for the coffee shop?”
“Yes.” August nodded. “It’s a community event. Lots of attention and visibility.”
I shot a look at my brother. “You’re not using something like that as bait. I won’t let you put the community at risk.”
“We’ll secure it heavily,” Fox added. “Cameras. License plate readers. Controlled entry points. Uniformed officers and plainclothes. We screen bags. Everything.”
I shook my head, not feeling good about it. “If there’s a chance that anyone at that event could be in danger—”
“They won’t be,” August assured me.
“I’ve already reached out to the guys at the police station,” Reid chimed in. He was a former detective with the Ember Hollow Police Department. “With their help, plus the extra security we can provide, that event will be almost impossible to breach.”
I gave my brothers a doubtful look. I still didn’t like it.
August let out a sigh. “You have so little trust in me, huh?”
“It’s the serial killer I don’t trust.”
August grimaced. “Yeah, well, the point isn’t to use the event as bait, exactly.” He rolled his tight shoulders with a wince. “The charity event is supposed to be a distraction.”
Palmer was very still, listening to all of it.
Fox leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “If Anderson is in town, he’ll know about the event. He’ll know that every spare cop and law enforcement within the county limits will be there.”
“It’ll be the best time for him to strike,” Graham said. “We build the perfect circumstances for him to be able to attack, and then we dangle the real bait.”
My hand clutched my mug of coffee. “And the bait is?”
August grinned. “Me.”
I scowled. “You?”
He lifted his chin. “What? You don’t think I look like bait?”
“I think you look like a six-foot-four, highly skilled, strong as fuck former marine.” I tried not to roll my eyes. “You’re all predator, brother.”
August beamed, though I don’t think he realized that was the opposite of what he wanted.
Fox sighed. “That’s…the weakest part of the plan,” he admitted.
“Hey, I offered to take the position, but August wouldn’t let me,” Reid groused.
I glared at my youngest brother, still the baby no matter how old he got. “Good.”
“I still think it’s our best bet,” Graham said.
“Anderson loathes August. Not only did August effectively take Emersyn away from him, but he also has been ruthlessly hunting him. We may not have found a way to catch him within the last couple of months, but August has definitely made his life hard. Taking Lark and Emersyn away to the safe house was probably the last straw. If we manage to put August in a vulnerable position the night of the charity event, he might not be able to resist taking him out.”
“And how are we supposed to keep August safe if he does?” This was all too risky for me. I hated all of it.
August looked at me with total confidence. “I’ll be fine. I’m all predator, right?” He winked, and I cursed under my breath for saying something so stupid to him, of all people. “But the security team of specialists I’ve been assembling for this exact reason will help.”
I raised my brows.
“The charity event isn’t for another week,” Graham added. “We have enough time to prepare.”
I glanced around the table at my brothers. They were tired, but they were also angry and focused.
We needed to be united in this if we had any chance. I didn’t love using anyone as bait, but Graham was right; we had some time. We could work out the details later.
“All right,” I relented. “I’ll do the press conference.”
August gave a firm nod. “Good. Let’s do it as soon as possible. Get things rolling.”
“What if there’s another fire?” Palmer piped up for the first time. She looked about as concerned as me.
“That’s a possibility,” August admitted. “But once he realizes we’re all back in town, I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”
“We’re coordinating with the police to do extra patrols around any other spots that might be significant to the Shadow Stalker,” I said.
Palmer’s eyes widened. “Really? Since when?”
“Yesterday. I met with Detective Whize from the Ember Hollow PD, and told him my concerns. He said he’d take care of it.”
“Well,” August pushed his chair back and stood, “that seems to settle everything for now, but I’ve got a lot of coordinating to do.” He turned to Fox. “Do you need help setting up your equipment?”
Fox stood, too, nodding. “It would sure make things quicker.”
And just like that, breakfast was over, and my brothers dispersed. The warmth in the kitchen had shifted entirely, replaced by something colder.
We had a plan. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something.
I glanced at Palmer, who had set her mug into the sink. A quiet, dangerous hope seeped through my veins. With any luck, by this time next week, we would be the ones setting the fire and ending the reign of the Shadow Stalker once and for all.