Page 120 of Axe-ing for Trouble
“Fuck.” Jude roughed a hand down his face. “That’s Pine Hollow Farm.”
We looked at one another. Midway between the border and the farm where we’d seen the SUVs was what we were looking for. The spot that had slowly been added to the bat protection zone.
“So the big road had been cleared, and then a fire took out the old-growth trees.”
“Yes.”
“And it’s deep in the protection zone where no one would be allowed to drive?” I arched a brow. “This is the spot.” I tapped the screen. “They created a network of roads and trails to transport drugs and God knows what else from Canada. The fire cleared a lot of the land, making more room for roads and potentially more.”
Jude hummed. “So you’re saying—”
“There’s got to be a hub here. It’s smack-dab in the middle of the protection zone. It’s difficult to get to, and there are no caves anywhere. Look at the topography.”
The light of the computer screen reflected off his lenses as he studied the map. “Yeah, definitely no caves for bats to nest.”
“Exactly. So of all the hundreds of acres, this is the spot they wanted to protect. And we know why. It’s a convenient midway point between the two destinations, and mother nature did some of the work by clearing the forest.”
Sitting back, Jude frowned at me. “Why haven’t the police or the FBI found it?”
“They’re still under the impression that there are no roads there.” I wiggled in my seat. There was more to it, but that was my gut instinct. “It’s been two days. They aren’t wasting resources by sending people hours into the woods. Not yet, at least.”
“How far away is it?” I tapped the screen.
“On the ATV?”
I nodded.
He shook his head. “Far. If the trails are dry, maybe two or three hours?”
“Do we have enough gas to get there?”
“We have two full cans. So yes, we definitely have enough to get there. But we don’t have enough to get back.”
I considered his words as I studied the map again. If something was going down, this was where it would happen.
“What do we do?”
I thought about being chased by Razor and the other flunkies. I thought about poor Hugo in a coma in Boston and Jude’s family being haunted for years.
And I knew what I had to do.
“I’m going there tomorrow,” I said.
He lurched up in his seat. “No.”
I held up a hand. “I’m asking you to come with me. It’s dumb and dangerous, but if we give up now, they may get away with this completely. I’ll spend the rest of my life running and sleeping with one eye open.”
“But—”
I squeezed his hands. “Jude, I love you and I want a future with you.”
His dark blue eyes widened.
“But there is no future unless we end this.”
“Together?” he asked, the single-word response surprising me.
I nodded. “Together. But…” I blew out a breath. “We may get killed in the process.”
