Page 94 of Ruthless Enforcer

Same little hop to the left.

“Again,” she says, rewinding it farther.

The magpie lands exactly the same way.

“Eight-minute loop,” Mason says. “All four cameras.”

Jake's expression hardens. “Since when?”

“We don't know yet,” Harper says.

“Want to bet since Turner broke out?” Gabriel says tightly.

I reach up and slip my hand in his. He stills a moment but then curls his fingers around mine.

Harper points at the screen. “Whoever did it knew enough about the system to feed recorded footage back through the relay without triggering an alert.”

Gabriel looks at the screen. “Turner.”

“Maybe,” Mason says. “Or somebody wants us staring at an empty ranch while something else is happening.”

Gabriel’s eyes lift to his. “Either way, we need eyes on it.”

“I can get onto the north ridge without approaching the house,” Mason says. “From there I'll be able to see the main house, barn, and most of the western pasture.”

Jake nods. “Go. Eyes only. You see Turner, you call us. Nobody approaches that house until we know what we're walking into.”

Mason nods.

Luke pushes away from the counter. “I'll get the trucks ready.”

“You're not going anywhere yet,” Jake says.

“I said ready, Warden. Jesus. I've matured.”

“In the last two minutes?” Jake asks.

“Harsh.”

Everyone starts moving.

Jake reaches for his phone. Luke and Harper follow Mason toward the hall. Emma begins collecting the abandoned coffee mugs as if preparing for armed conflict naturally includes clearing the kitchen table.

And Gabriel doesn't move at all.

He's still staring at the tablet. At the same eight minutes of Cole Turner's empty ranch playing over and over again.

I close my sketchbook. “What are you thinking?”

His eyes come to mine. “Turner knows we're looking for him.”

“That isn't all you're thinking.”

“No.”

I wait.

His gaze drops to my wedding ring before returning to my face. “I'm thinking he wants us looking somewhere else.”