Page 51 of Twilight Tactics

“Just here to give Maya a report on the security measures we’re taking with the ranch.” He eyed them. “Maya filled me in a bit on what happened with you. Until we know what’sgoing on, I’ve called in a few reinforcements to help guard the perimeter. They’re freelancers, but they’re good and loyal to me, so no chance of someone buying them off. I know them all personally. They’re getting set up now.”

“How many?”

“Ten. I don’t know if it’s enough, but it’s a start.” He passed Sully his phone. “Scroll through there and memorize their faces. I’ve sent the vet residents and all of the employees a group text with their pictures and let them know they’re friendly faces. We’ll have to make the announcement first thing in the morning at breakfast to be sure everyone sees this.”

“Okay, that’s good. With everything that’s happened, having the ranch secure is key.” Sully shared the pictures with the others, then handed the man’s phone back to him and hesitated. “I think we should ask the vets to leave in case there’s trouble. No sense in dragging them into this. Whateverthisis.” He curled his fingers into fists. Ollie was his priority. Had he made the wrong call in bringing her here? In staying after the attack on Elena? The weight of responsibility pressed down on him like a physical burden, making it hard to breathe.

A knock on the door jerked him from his mental loop, and he answered it. A man he’d just seen a picture of stood there. His gaze met Sully’s. “Broussard here? We’ve got a problem.” The man’s breath fogged in the cold air, his words clipped with urgency.

David stepped forward. “What kind of problem?”

“Caught someone cutting the fence. I chased him, but he hopped on a motorbike and disappeared. I was in the golf cart and there was no way that thing was going where he did.”

“What is going on?” Sully asked. He honestly couldn’t decide if the attacks had something to do with Ollie or not.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Ollie said, stepping into thekitchen. She looked much better but still appeared rather fragile. Maya was right behind her.

“That was a fast recovery,” Elena said.

Maya held a hand out for the first aid kit. “I requested an injection. That works much faster than oral meds for the initial rebound. She has plenty of pills going forward.” She looked at Ollie. “And I recommended splitting them up. You have some, Piper keeps some, and so on.”

“Fine.” Ollie nodded. “Good idea.” She looked at Elena. “And now let’s get started. The lightheadedness is fading and I’m not dizzy or nauseous. So I’m ready for my first lesson.”

Piper gaped and started to protest. Ollie glared at her and Piper snapped her lips shut.

Maya jumped in. “Oh, honey. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“I know. No one thinks it’s a good idea except me. But I promise, nothing too physically intense.” She turned pleading eyes back to Elena. “I need to do this. Something. Anything.”

Elena met Sully’s gaze, then looked at Ollie. “Tomorrow morning first thing, okay?”

Ollie groaned. “Fine.”

“You’ll feel even better by then and can really focus.”

“You promise?”

“I promise. But go rest until then.”

“Fine. But I want some juice and I’m setting my alarm for first thing in the morning, okay?” She paused. “What’s first thing in the morning for you? Not some terrible hour like 4:00 a.m., please?”

“No. How about 7:00 a.m.?”

Ollie bit her lip and nodded. “That’s good. I can do that.” She grabbed a bottle from the fridge, then disappeared back toward her room.

Sully nodded to David. “Let’s get something to repair thefence and check the perimeter. It’s time to find out exactly what we’re dealing with—and who.”

“And why,” Elena said. “Why the attacks on me ... us. I mean, I guess if they’re after Ollie, they could be trying to get rid of those of us protecting her, but...”

Sully shrugged. “Whatever the case, we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

Elena ran a hand down her cheek and sat at the table. “All right, we have preppers and we have guys who look like they might belong to the mob—who we know is after Ollie. And they appear to be working together.”

“Then we need to find us a prepper or a mob guy and ask them what they’re doing,” Sully said.

Piper blinked. “Oh sure, let’s do that.”

He shrugged. “Do you have a better plan?”