Page 46 of Twilight Tactics

“Everything is fine at the moment, thanks. We’re just here to get some meds.”

“Gotcha.” He nodded to Elena. “My deputy who took Elena’s statement about the attack mentioned you were involved somehow?”

Sully shook his head. “I just witnessed it.”

“I was reading it before I had to stop and pick up a prescription myself. I’ll finish looking it over when I get back.” He hitched his belt in a decades-old habit. Sully bit his lip on a smile. “I did ask around to see if there’d been any reports of the strangers you saw in the woods with the preppers, but nothing so far.”

“Thanks for checking. Any word on who my attacker could have been?” Elena asked.

“Nothing yet. Not many strangers come through Whitestone without me knowing about it.” He planted his hands on his hips. “I’ve got my deputies keeping an eye out, and like I said earlier, I’m increasing patrols in the area near the ranch. And near the place you said someone attacked you. I may even ride up to the prepper base and see what I can see.”

“Thank you,” Elena said, “we appreciate that.”

Sully pulled out his phone. “If you see this guy, can you give me a shout?” He showed the sheriff the picture of the man Ollie had pointed out as involved with the mob.

The sheriff pulled his readers from his pocket and took a good look. “Haven’t seen him around. Text me the picture, will you?”

“Sure.” Sully’s fingers flew over the screen. “Appreciate it.”

“You betcha. Y’all be careful, ya hear? And holler if you need anything.”

“Will do. Thanks again, Sheriff.”

The man stepped around them and into the pharmacy. Sully led the way to the sedan in silence, scanning the street and parking lot as they moved. Thankfully, all seemed quiet at the moment, but he couldn’t get that black truck out of his thoughts. They climbed in the car and Elena turned to him. “At least the sheriff is now taking all this seriously.”

“You were attacked. That’s serious.” He cranked the engine.

“True. Too bad no one’s seen those men. It’s weird, isn’t it? This is a small town. If they’ve been here, even just getting gas, I think word would have gotten around.”

“Definitely weird.” He pulled out of the parking lot and headed down Main Street toward the road that would take him back to the ranch. The town soon gave way to winding mountain roads, with dense forest pressing in on both sides.

He noticed Elena keeping her eyes on the side mirror. “See anything?”

“Nothing.”

The black truck had spooked them both, but the road behind them was clear and he released a slow breath.

Elena was on her phone texting. “I’m checking in with Maya and letting her know we’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“Good idea.”

Her phone pinged. “Ollie’s not doing so great.”

He pressed the gas.

They drove in silence forthe next few minutes and Elena let her mind spin back to a blip in time with Iris. They’d beenat the new compound for only a few weeks and she hated it. She stared at her hands, remembering.

She had stooped to pick up another log, her fingers almost numb inside her gloves. The woodpile scratched her wrist, but Eleanor barely noticed. Her breath came out in little white puffs, disappearing into the fog like secrets whispered into silence.

Everything here was quiet. Too quiet. No laughter. No creeks trickling behind the house. No rustling from squirrels in the trees. Just rules. Schedules. Watchers.

She felt Iris approach before she saw her—her older sister’s footsteps crunching softly on the frost-crusted leaves.

“Cold morning,” Iris said, crouching beside her to gather a few small branches.

“Every morning’s cold here,” Eleanor muttered. “Even the ones that aren’t.”

They worked in silence for a moment, stacking the wood into a crude burlap sling. Eleanor paused, bit her lip, wondering if she dared say anything. But she couldn’t seem to stop the words from tumbling out. “Do you think we’ll ever go back?”