Page 27 of Twilight Tactics

“For your own safety, stay away. Go somewhere far, far away.” Lindy Grace disappeared into the woods behind her before Elena could blink. But it was enough time for the bad feeling in her gut to grow exponentially.

She clicked to Harley. “Come on, boy. Let’s go home.” Seconds later, she caught up with Sully and they rode in silence for the next few minutes while Elena processed a horrifying thought.

“What is it?” Sully asked. “You’re very quiet and I have so many questions and thoughts. I’m going to need you to talk to me.”

“What if I just messed up?” she asked, her voice low.

Sully pulled Belle to a stop. “What do you mean?”

Elena lifted her gaze to meet his. “What if the woman you saw, the one who ran from you, was trying to escape the preppers and I just looped them in to the fact?”

6

Sully stilled, his heart thudding. He had so many questions. He opened his mouth to respond, when a gunshot rang out. He ducked and landed on the ground beside Belle the same time Elena’s boots hit the wooded undergrowth, and she scooted under Harley to join him. They crouched between the two horses, using them as cover. “Where’d that come from?” she whispered.

“Somewhere close to where we just were, I think.”

“They weren’t shooting at us.” Her frown deepened. “Could have been a rabbit or something to take back to cook, I suppose.”

“I’d like to know for sure.”

“I would too.” She studied him. “I also want to make sure I didn’t just get that poor girl into trouble. If she was trying to leave and they know who she is, it will be rough going for her. Brutal.”

“And I need to investigate that gunshot,” Sully said. “If you want to wait here with the horses—”

“Not a chance.”

“I figured.” Sully checked his weapon. “I’ll follow you?”

“If you’re all right with that.”

“These are your stomping grounds. You know what you’re doing and where you’re going. Lead on.”

She shot him a tight smile and secured her horse. Sully did the same. Belle huffed and shifted, probably sensing the tension. He stroked her muzzle and whispered reassurances, then turned to Elena, who crouched lower.

“Step where I step,” she said. “I don’t want any noise to signal we’re still here.”

“Got it.” He glanced up. The sky had darkened with clouds, indicating a coming storm. Awesome. Maybe this was all just an innocent hunter and they could head back to the ranch before the bottom fell out.

Elena moved at one with nature, her booted feet finding the open areas, avoiding anything that might snap under her sole. Sully did the same, maintaining the spacing she established between them. It seemed like she walked forever, but a glance at his phone said only ten minutes had passed.

And then he smelled smoke.

Elena pulled up short and looked to her left. She smelled it too. It gave him some satisfaction to think he noticed it first even if it was by only a split second. “This way,” she whispered. He followed her until she held up a hand and stopped to crouch.

He knelt beside her. “What is it?” he asked, his voice so low he wondered if she could hear it.

“They’re just over that ridge. It’s an area where Mom and Dad used to go to build a fire and do their arguing. It’s also the place where the leaders hold meetings they don’t want to chance the others overhearing. It’s a secret place, known only by the select few.”

“But you know about it.”

“Because I followed Mom and Dad out here that night.”

Right. “Are there guards?”

“At least two, could be more. But I know where they were. They had three stations. One was right there at the meeting area. There are stacks and stacks of chopped logs for the fire.” She scowled at him. “I used to hate that chore.”

“They made you chop wood?”