Page 8 of Chasing Justice
Great. Josh Colten.
Just what she needed today.
Colten was new to town and every woman around, single or not, liked to check out the deputy. Maya had even overheard some women at the local café discussing how they would love to get pulled over by him. One giggled about being handcuffed too. Maya was only annoyed by him because he seemed like such a Boy Scout. He always did everything perfectly and by the book, and for some reason, that drove her nuts.
As he walked toward her, Maya noticed Josh had a swagger, as if he knew every woman thought he was good-looking.
That just irritated her even more.
Carson Ray sat atop a horse on the hillside, peering through his binoculars as a sheriff’s deputy parked at the crime scene.
His horse snorted and started pawing. Carson reached down and stroked the liver chestnut’s neck, soothing the animal. The horse was probably picking up on Carson’s frustration.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. This couldn’t be happening. The feds would not leave this alone, and the last thing he needed was the government meddling in his business. It would only spur on what they started a year ago, taking over his land and his cattle, shutting down the logging company and forcing him out of a job, all while his wife was dying from cancer. No one cared.
Someone from the damn government was always messing with him and his livelihood, but not this time. From his previous work, Carson knew the forest well. He figured it was payback to the government to manufacture drugs in the Baker cabin, and tracing the drug production back to him would be damn near impossible. This was his own business. He’d made something of himself, and for the first time in years he had extra cash.
Someone was going to pay. No one would take this business away from him.
He turned the horse around and asked for a lope. Carson needed to get back to his hunting cabin and make some calls. Navigating the mountainside, the horse lowered his haunches and trotted up to the cabin that had been in Carson’s family for over one hundred years.
The horse stood still as Carson dismounted. He looped the reins around a tree branch and found a water bucket, giving the horse a few small sips. “You did well today. I’ll get you home soon. Sorry for the workload today, big guy.”
Satisfied that the horse would be okay, Carson marched toward the cabin, thoughts of the lost revenue running through his mind. The cabin was where he came to think. To get away from everything. It had been in his family for generations, and with the money he’d made recently, he’d completely renovated it. He’d saved the original windows, though. They were so old the glass wasn’t clear anymore. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope, but even with the lack of clarity, Carson saw the outline of a person inside moving from the table to the kitchen sink.
He wasn’t expecting anyone here. Carson pulled his pistol from his shoulder holster and crept around by the window to peer in.
Jenna.
His daughter could be difficult to say the least, but he had to give her credit. She’d come home when he needed her most and nursed her mother until cancer took her from them. Jenna had also helped with the new business.
Carson holstered his gun. Still looking through the old window, he saw another person inside the cabin. He’d recognize that grungy baseball cap anywhere. His son, Cody. He was worthless in Carson’s opinion. A spoiled brat his mother had let get away with anything he wanted. But the flip side was Carson could make his son do anythinghewanted. The stupid kid was always trying to please him.
Carson opened the door so hard the hinges creaked, and the door hit the wall behind it. He stepped inside and shook his head at his kids. He’d been hoping for five minutes alone, but he guessed it was family meeting time.
“What’s up, Dad?” Cody asked.
“What’s up? What’s up? Are you serious? Did you not see the giant black cloud that used to be our drug lab?”
“That poor animal out there,” Jenna piped up. “I know you love the horses, but you’re asking too much of him.”
“Can you cook another batch?” Carson asked, ignoring Jenna’s comment about the horse and furious that she blew off what had just happened. She needed to appreciate him and his efforts more. She didn’t understand what he’d been through just to keep food on the table over the years.
“Not very easily. I need a lab and more materials. You’re going to have to call Lana and let her know what happened,” Jenna said, standing up and pacing around. Her boots clunked on the wooden floor.
“I know. She’ll be pissed, but I can handle it,” Carson said. “How much codeine do we have?”
“Not enough. You need to get more.”
“All right. I’ll do it.”
Jenna stopped pacing. “Do you know if anyone was there? Did the feds find us? Or was it someone else? Like the cartel?”
“I saw someone getting airlifted, and maybe a dog, and someone else stayed on scene. Couldn’t see who.”
“Maybe Sheriff Thompson, or his granddaughter. Heard she got a job with the Forest Service and is in training,” Jenna said. “No one else would be in this remote area of the forest. We’ll figure it out, but we need to get out of here before anyone comes asking questions. I’ll take the horse home. You take my Jeep. That way you can get home faster.”
Carson waved her off, frustration building.
