Rough Terrain, page 14
“I have missed you, too, little one. I have thought of you many times over the years. Celeste kept me up to date, whenever she could, but it’s not the same as seeing you.”
He closed his eyes as a rare smile crossed his face. “You have grown into the beautiful woman that I had foreseen in my dreams.” The smile faded. “You are looking for justice, but you should not have come back. Things have been quiet. I’m afraid that is about to change. The poachers have come and gone through the years. The signs show that they have returned to the park for something big. You should not be here. Go back to Celeste’s and find the destiny that was written for you.”
It was the longest speech she had ever heard from Billy. Tears pricked her eyes. “I can’t go back. They murdered my family. They may as well have murdered me too. I know I didn’t get tossed over the side of the Gorge, but I have felt the pain of loss every day since.”
Standing up and walking over to the window, Leigh could see Jared across the yard. He was staring intently off into the distance but as she watched, he turned and looked back at the house, staring straight at her. It was impossible, but she felt as if he could hear her. She turned and looked back at Billy. “I’m not trying to be a hero here. I just want to find out who they are and bring them to justice. I owe my father and uncle at least that much.”
“Your father would want you to stay far away from here. To be safe.” Billy was adamant.
Again, Leigh looked out the window but this time she was looking at the past. She couldn’t see the future. She leaned her forehead against the smooth glass. “I guess we’ll never know what my father wanted.” She turned to Billy again. “I need to do this, Billy. I need to finish what they started. Besides, they know I’m alive. I’ll never be able to live in peace until they are caught.”
Billy let out a sigh and met her gaze. Then he nodded.
• • •
Outside, Jared removed the earphone from his right ear and swept his eyes over the landscape. Neither Billy nor Leigh had noticed him place the electronic bug on one of the pantry shelves, behind some mugs. He knew that Leigh wouldn’t have talked openly to Billy with him in the room. Instinct had warned him that there was much more going on here, but he had never expected to overhear that Leigh was in fact Amanda Whittier.
Of course, she hadn’t come straight out and said her real name, but she had said enough. Jared couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been. It hadn’t occurred to him that Amanda was still alive. All the signs were there, as to whom she really was, yet he had never connected the dots, distracted by a beautiful face. No wonder she had known all about the park. She had been raised in it. Some investigative reporter he was – it was surprising that he could find his own ass to wipe it!
Lifting his camera, Jared took some random shots of the distant mountain range but his mind was focused on Leigh. She was a complication that he didn’t need, and his bosses certainly weren’t going to be happy about this development. He felt a flash of anger at the thought that she had willingly come back to the park and put herself in danger. How was he going to get her out of his investigation? Leigh, or should he call her Amanda, wouldn’t leave without a fight.
Continuing down the slope, Jared slipped into the cover of trees, out of sight of the cabin. Leaning up against a tree trunk, he thought back to the day of the Whittier funerals. According to news reports, officials had only found one body, Leigh’s father; no, Jared corrected himself, Amanda’s father. Most of the county had attended the service, since it was the most sensational thing that had happened in decades. He had been working an internship at the local newspaper and had been assigned to cover the story, along with another reporter. It had made a lasting impression on him, shaking him to his core to realize that violence could happen to anyone, anywhere, even a young girl from his hometown. If he was honest with himself, Jared would have to admit that it was the reason he’d become a photojournalist and investigative reporter. Maybe, deep down, it was the reason that he had accepted this mission when it had been offered to him.
Jared was surprised to find out that it had all been a cover-up. It would have taken some serious strings to pull off the suicide/murder angle and then wipe out all traces of poachers. The only person with that kind of money in the area was Dean Langford, but Jared hadn’t been able to tie the good ole Senator to anything more than a parking ticket. It was just a gut feeling that somehow Langford was involved. What he couldn’t figure out was how? Why would someone cover for a bunch of poachers? It made no sense.
Finding out that Amanda was alive changed everything. Was she right, did the poachers know that she was alive? Was the recent attempt on their lives related to her past and not his? The thought unnerved him. He hoped that Leigh wasn’t the target.
“Damn,” he muttered out loud. Pushing himself away from the tree, he made his way back out to the open slope and started back up toward the cabin.
How was he supposed to keep her safe and continue on his mission? Sitting down on a makeshift bench outside of the barn, Jared leaned back against the rough wood and closed his eyes to contemplate the question. The blazing sun’s rays were blocked by the leaves of the trees, creating a dappled shade. Chickens scratched in the dirt at his feet and he could hear the cow moving around in the wooded area behind him. At least Billy had sounded like he shared Jared’s opinion. Maybe the two of them could talk Amanda into some semblance of reason. And maybe the poachers will just turn themselves in and we can all go home happy, he thought with a snort. Well, he’d better come up with a plan soon, because if the poachers were aware that Amanda had returned, there was no telling when they would strike. Glancing at the cabin, he pushed himself away from the wall and strode purposely toward it.
• • •
Leigh watched as Jared crossed the distance from the barn to the cabin. His stride was that of a man on a mission. Somehow that didn’t seem to bode well for her but she wasn’t sure why.
Deliberately keeping her back to the door, she did her best to ignore Jared even though every fiber of her being was aware of him. What was it about the man that made her so attracted to him? Maybe the high altitude was to blame, not enough oxygen to her brain cells. She heard him greet Billy, who was working at a table in the corner.
Jared seemed to suck up all the air in the room, and for a brief moment, all she could think of was that she needed CPR.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to grab the two glasses from the table then walked over to the sink. It only took her a couple of minutes to wash them. With that done, she had no choice but to turn and look at the two men.
Billy was still seated at the table, his back to her. Jared was sitting next to Billy, astride a chair, facing her. There was an odd expression on his face as he nodded his head in acknowledgement of her presence but she couldn’t tell what Jared was thinking. Was it her imagination, or did she detect a subtle difference in his attitude? Gone was the cocky, egotistical jerk that she had become used to and in its place was a quiet, reserved stranger. It was surprising to realize that she had become accustomed to his teasing and devil-may-care attitude.
Moving to the other side of the table, she pulled out a chair and sat down. The silence was unbearable. She had to speak. “Do you still have extra cell phones Billy? Mine was broken in the fire.”
She had filled Billy in, regarding the attempt on her and Jared’s lives, while Jared had been out of the cabin. It had only made Billy more adamant about her going back to Celeste’s.
Billy nodded. “Why would you need a phone? Once I put your number in it, they will be able to trace you.”
“Good question,” Jared chimed in.
Leigh glared at him before turning back to Billy.
“I’ll need to get in touch with Celeste. If she somehow hears that I’m missing, then she’s going to assume the worst. I can also monitor online the progress of the fire and how the investigation is going. You know how to set it up so they can’t trace my number. I’m assuming that you still have untraceable Wi-Fi still hooked up?”
Billy gave a boyish grin. “It’s the only way I can catch my baseball games,” he admitted.
Jared looked stunned. “I thought you lived simply, off the land and all that?”
Leigh laughed. “Billy has a few modern conveniences that he can’t do without. Like a small solar generator out back so we can flush the toilet and take a hot shower.”
The look on Jared’s face was priceless. “Thank god. I thought we were going to have to use an outhouse and bathe in a copper tub after heating our water on the stove.”
Billy chuckled as he stood. “I may be old-fashioned, but I’m too old to be freezing my ass off using some damn outhouse and lugging water for baths. I’m entitled to a few modern comforts!”
With that, he walked to a desk that was tucked into the far corner of the cabin. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a phone and a small machine with a cord, returning to the table he put them in front of Leigh. Pulling his laptop across the table, he flipped up the cover and turned it on.
There was silence as they all waited for it to boot up. Extracting an ancient set of glasses from his shirt pocket, Billy set them on his nose and started to type. Once he got to the screen he needed, he looked at Leigh. “Number?”
She told him her cell phone number and watched as he typed it in. Then he attached the small machine’s cord to the laptop and typed some more.
“What exactly are you doing?” Jared asked.
Billy gave him a sideways glance over the top of his glasses. “Hacking into the phone company.”
Jared’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Hacking into the phone company? Just like that?”
Billy unplugged the machine from his computer and plugged it into the phone before he looked over at the younger man. “I’m a man of many talents. I haven’t always lived my life on the side of a mountain.” His eyes shifted to the kitchen area for a second. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m some old fool.”
Leigh was mystified at the message that he was sending to Jared. It seemed that Jared got the message because he narrowed his eyes before giving a small nod of acknowledgement to Billy.
• • •
Billy had set up a pallet in the cabin for Leigh to sleep on and Jared had decided to sleep in the loft of the barn. The cow was lying in her stall and the chickens were roosted around the small space. Once in a while, one of them would squawk in its sleep and Jared had to wonder if chickens actually had dreams. How the hell would you know and why the hell was he up at some god forsaken hour thinking about it? He had retired to the barn right after dinner, hoping that Billy and Leigh would talk some more, but they must have been tired because there had been no chit chat before both had gone to bed.
Propping his head with his hands, Jared stared up at the ceiling. He had tried logging onto Billy’s illegal Wi-Fi, as Leigh had called it, to do a search on Billy, but it had been secure, and he hadn’t wanted to ask Billy for the password. The old coot was definitely computer savvy and Jared didn’t need him to know that he was investigating him. Billy had hacked into the phone company like it was the easiest thing in the world. Jared knew several hackers who were some of the best in the world, but he’d bet money that none of them could have just done what Billy did. Which left the question, who the hell was this guy and why was he living the life of a hermit?
• • •
Rough hay poked through the thin blankets that Jared had laid down to create his bed, causing him to sit up. Judging by the lack of light coming in through the window, it was still several hours before dawn. It didn’t seem likely that he was going to get to sleep anytime soon. He could usually fall asleep just about anywhere, especially after the kind of exhausting day he’d had with Leigh. “Amanda,” he corrected himself out loud.
Pulling on his boots, Jared climbed down from the small loft and walked silently to the door. He stood still in the barnyard and listened. The moon hadn’t risen above the trees yet, so it was as dark as a tomb, causing the outline of the cabin to be nothing more than a mere suggestion. Tree frogs and crickets competed in an unbridled competition of noise that appeared to be coming from all around him. An owl hooted in the distance. Farther away, a coyote or fox yipped, probably looking for its mate Jared thought, as he started to walk.
Several feet from the cabin, he became aware of another sound. Flattening himself to the ground, Jared heard the click of a door closing quietly. The silhouette of Billy came into view and Jared watched as he headed down the open slope, without looking left or right. Billy was wearing dark clothing that blended into the night. He made no noise as he walked. After giving Billy a few minutes head start, Jared started to follow.
Jared had always prided himself on his sleuthing prowess, but as he followed the silent older man, he cringed. It seemed that tonight he was stepping on every blade of dry grass and brittle stick, which made fireworks sound quiet by comparison. Surely the older man had heard him stumbling through the woods not far behind him. Jared could see Billy’s outline a couple of hundred feet ahead of him but Billy didn’t slow down nor turn around to confront him.
They had been walking this way for about ten minutes when Billy stopped at the edge of a clearing. Jared moved to the right and crouched down by the stump of a rotting tree. From its earthy smell and spongy bark, he guessed it had fallen several years before.
Billy stood stock still, as if he was listening for something, or someone. The moon was cresting the trees to Jared’s left, creating a little more play of shadows, yet nothing moved.
Was this some sort of Indian ceremony for the rising moon? Jared wondered. He didn’t think so. His knew to stay put. Minutes passed, and Jared’s muscles began to cramp, but he stayed crouched and motionless; his gut instincts had never failed him. Something important was about go down and he wanted to be there, to see what Billy was waiting for. Over fifteen minutes had elapsed and the cramp in his right leg had become excruciating. When he suddenly saw Billy stiffen, Jared wasn’t even sure he could stand up.
Pushing back the pain in his leg, Jared watched the older man step behind a tree, then raise a pair of binoculars. Even from this distance, Jared was able to make out that they were night binoculars, military if he was to take a guess.
What the hell is he doing with government issued night gear? Jared knew binoculars like that would be invaluable to someone who wanted to hunt animals at night. They would give them an advantage of tracking an animal without the warning of flashlights. Or tracking rangers, for that matter. Which begged the question, was Billy part of the poaching operation?
Leigh couldn’t have known, he surmised. She had said that Billy was an old friend of her father’s, and it was obvious from his greeting that the old man had been genuinely concerned to see her.
As Jared sat debating about Billy, he became aware of the unmistakable sound of a helicopter approaching. Looking toward the clearing, he scanned the darkened sky. The sound of the chopper’s engine was low, and the blades made a rhythmical whooshing sound that broke the silence. Jared couldn’t see anything, but when he looked over at Billy, the older man was following something in the sky with his binoculars. Concentrating on the direction Billy was looking, Jared could just make out a small helicopter as it crossed the star-studded sky in front of him. The copter’s running lights were off and the aircraft seemed to be flying low, as if to stay under radar level. As it got closer, he saw a soft glow in the cockpit from the instrument panel. The next moment, the craft was gone, the sound of it dissolving back into the night.
Jared watched Billy pull something from his vest pocket before checking the time by the glow of his watch. In the dim light, it looked like he was writing something down before stuffing the objects back into his shirt pocket.
The older man turned and started to walk directly toward Jared’s hiding spot. Without trying to move too much, Jared pressed himself closer to the oak’s trunk. Billy stopped abreast of the tree and stood still for a moment. Jared could just make out the faint outline of his body against the dark shadows of undergrowth. He closed his eyes and waited for the older man to speak. Billy didn’t turn, nor say anything, he just started walking again, whistling under his breath.
Jared allowed a few minutes to pass and then he raised himself up enough to turn and sit on the soft bark. The balls of his feet were numb and his left calf muscle felt as if it was being stabbed. Gritting his teeth, he began the painful process of massaging the knot of muscles, trying to loosen them.
Jared realized that Billy must have heard him following, and had known all along that he was crouched behind the fallen tree, but why hadn’t he called him out? Why had Billy let him see the helicopter and then leave without saying a word about it?
Billy must have known the helicopter was going to show up at exactly the time it did. It wasn’t even dawn yet, so it was no coincidence that Billy had been at the edge of the clearing when the helicopter passed over. Only drug runners and other criminals flew choppers without running lights. Why else would they want to fly under the radar? Jared assumed they had to be flying by instruments alone, so as not to hit any trees. It was a calculated risk, considering a down draft could pull the chopper into the trees, causing it to crash.
Standing carefully, Jared felt his leg muscle relax enough to take a few tentative steps to the spot where Billy had stood to peer through his binoculars. The chopper had come out of the east. The nearest city or town in that direction was at least fifty miles away. There were no airstrips in the area that Jared knew about. That didn’t mean that there weren’t places to land a helicopter though.
Jared swore as he ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to get back to civilization and to his computer. There were a lot of things going on, and he needed to find some answers, but it didn’t look like he was going to get them anytime soon. If only he could acquire the password to Billy’s computer. He felt certain that Billy wasn’t about to give it to him. That left Leigh.
