Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 135696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Damn.
Harry wasn’t done.
“I know of at least one small, contained fire that was lit in this same area that the people in this cabin didn’t light, but they woke up when the light of it was coming in their windows. Porch furniture moved around during the night. Messages written on windshields in soap, a lot like this one, though ‘our land’ is new. It was more ‘go away,’ ‘leave,’ and ‘you’re not welcome.’ One incident that was reported to Dern we just uncovered in the audit was a shit ton of blood spilled all over the back porch steps. It turned out to be pig’s blood, but it understandably scared the fuck out of the tenants, and they broke their lease the day after they walked out to see that on their porch. And a couple of times that I know of, a woman’s scream, then shotgun blasts.”
Damn.
Thank fuck they hadn’t pulled that kind of shit on Nadia.
Harry still wasn’t done.
“Both those times, not one, but two fires of the gun. Which I’m sure you can imagine a scream and a couple shotgun blasts in the middle of the night would scare the shit out of about anyone, including me. And that’s just what’s gone down at the cabin. The litany of shit that’s gone down at your house before you took possession is just as long. Straight up, when you moved in, I had reservations because this crap has been so relentless. Though, as you know, they’ve left you alone since that time, they haven’t done the same with the renters Brenda and Dave have tried to put in this cabin.”
Fuck.
He should have asked his question sooner.
That wasn’t just kids messing around.
That was someone who was pretty damned determined to scare people off this land.
Nadia had told him about the rock noises, and that didn’t happen in the middle of the night. It happened when she was awake, alone and couldn’t miss it. But it stopped when he approached the cabin.
So that wasn’t Bryce.
That was these fucks, whoever they were.
“I want all the footage on your cloud,” Harry went on. “If they knew there were cameras they had to deal with, that means they’ve cased the place sometime recently. Maybe one of the cameras caught them while they were doing that.”
“I haven’t noticed any indication anyone’s been around who shouldn’t be, except what we found, and Nadia and I searched all around this cabin. Cade, Jace, Jess and Rus have been looking too. They’ve all finished their patches. Nothing. Jace and Jess were going to head to the other side of the lake tomorrow.”
“They might have had warning we’re suspicious, if Sharon Swindell gave them a heads up. Now they’re covering their tracks. Taking more care.”
“Who the fuck is Sharon Swindell?”
“Roosevelt’s assistant. You told me last night of Maribeth’s new theory, and I don’t know if it holds water, but I sure as fuck am not gonna discount it.”
Riggs pulled a calming breath through his nose.
It didn’t calm him.
Then he asked, “That Seattle cop nosing around? Is that what tweaked them to escalate things?”
“He didn’t warn me, but he’s my first call in the morning. Then again, if Swindell is involved, Rus and my visit to her would be enough to tweak them.”
“So, we got all this shit, and the fact that Gia’s been barking and maybe warning Nadia that someone is out here, and she’s been doing that for days,” Riggs broke it down.
“That’s what we got,” Harry confirmed.
Riggs pulled in another calming breath.
It again failed to calm him.
“Nadia know about this message?” Riggs asked, jerking his head to indicate the ground.
“No. Sorry. I gotta take ’em where I can get ’em, so that’s gonna be your job.”
Great.
“That all you got for me?” he asked Harry.
“For now. Get me those feeds. First thing.”
Riggs nodded then turned and jogged back to the cabin.
When he hit the main room, he ordered the women, who were both sitting at the kitchen island sipping at martini glasses, “Pack up. You’re spending the rest of the night at mine.”
Maribeth looked relieved and immediately put down her drink and moved to the closet.
“What did Harry say?” Nadia asked Riggs.
“He’s pissed you didn’t use the resource I paid fifteen large for in order to protect your ass.”
He heard Maribeth’s gasp from the closet.
“You paid already?” Nadia demanded.
“Nadia,” he said slowly, then thumped his fist twice on his chest. “You’re right there, honey. But, Jesus, fuck, I’m in no mood right now.”
Maribeth stuck her head out of the closet. “You tell her, brother.”
Her head disappeared.
“Thanks for the help!” Nadia shouted toward the closet.
Nope.
He was in no mood.
And with this situation, she needed to be in the same mood as him.
“There’s a message for you outside in the dirt,” Riggs told her.
She looked back at him. “What’s it say?”