Page 64 of Raven's Curse
Buck puffed out his chest a bit, looking oddly confident. A glimpse of who Greer suspect the man had been before he’d fallen apart. “Are you deaf? I just said that.”
Chase glanced at her, eyes narrowed. Slashes of red across his cheeks. “How far is the tower from here?”
“Not far if you drive.” He laughed. “Too bad you can’t drive.”
Greer stepped between Chase and Buck, shuffling Buck back against the wall. “Enough. I need you to focus. Atticus’ life is on the line. We can’t afford to be wrong. Why can’t we drive?”
“Because the road’s got laser eyes!”
“Laser eyes?” She inhaled. “You mean he’s wired it. Has laser trip beams.”
Buck rolled his eyes. “That’s what I said. And they’re good. It’d take a while to disarm them. I could but…”
Buck could disarm trip wires?
Greer made a mental note to ask the man about that, later as she pointed to the photo. “Is there another way up?”
“There’s an old mule track that weaves through the woods. Overgrown. Hard to follow. I’ve gone up it a few times, but it’s really muddy and slippery from the rain. I tried this morning, but…”
“Well, you’re not alone, now.” She motioned to the door. “Let’s go.”
Buck shook his head, grabbing ahold of the driver’s seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Greer loomed in close. “I know this isn’t easy for you, but we’ll never find the path in time. I need you to be our guide. Chase and I’ll handle whatever’s there. I just need you to get us to that tower.”
Buck glanced at Chase, then back to her. “I need a new telephoto lens.”
“Deal. Now, move.” She snagged his elbow. “And Buck, don’t try to run off. This guy — the one with the lights — he’s really dangerous.”
Buck nodded, then pushed to the back of his RV. He grabbed a backpack, started chucking in supplies.
Chase brushed past her. “I’ll grab my medic bag and some gear. We can radio Bodie and Raven’s Watch, in case they can hear us. Just… remember that saving Atticus is more important than catching this guy. That he’s not worth dying over.”
“Understood. It’d be nice to do both, though.”
Chase nodded, then ran off, clearing the steps before disappearing beyond the door.
Greer collected the photos, staring at the silhouette of the tower rising above the pines, like a sentry keeping watch. This was it. Their one chance at stopping whoever had survived that mission. Finally ending the rampage. She just hoped they’d be enough.
Chapter Seventeen
Chase grabbed some survival gear and shoved it in a spare backpack. Not that he thought they’d need any, but he prided himself in being prepared — a feat this perp had pushed to the limits — and he didn’t want to risk Atticus or Greer’s life because he’d cut corners. Left a vital piece of equipment behind. He’d spent a lifetime carrying rucksacks and men across enemy lines. He’d put his trust in all that training, now.
Greer met him at the Bronco. “I relayed our intentions on both channels. I realize our guy could pick up on the transmissions, but it’s worth the risk.” She handed him one of the radios. “You should carry one, too, in case…”
He clipped it on his belt, then handed her the pack. “It’s not much. Some carabiners and webbing. A length of cord and a few medical supplies.”
She didn’t ask any questions, just slipped it over her shoulders. “Bet it’s a quarter of the weight yours is.”
He simply smiled. “What I wouldn’t give to have Nyx right about now. Bet she’d pick up on that asshole’s scent — lead us right to him.”
Instead, they had Buck Landry — conspiracy theorist, and the guy they were betting Atticus’ life on.
Chase wasn’t sure what had shocked him more. That Buck had recorded their guy’s movements during an imagined alien invasion, or that their perp had been stalking Chase and his buddies for nearly a year. All without them realizing.
He sighed. He could question his competency later, after they’d rescued Atticus.
God, he hoped Buck was right. That their suspect had brought Atticus back to the watchtower. If he hadn’t…
