Page 78 of Ashes of the Past
“No, ma’am,” she says in exasperation. “I’m not going to let you excuse your way out of any of this. You need to have a conversation with yourself and decide what you want and want with him, and then you need to have a talk with him to figure out what he wants, too, so that you don’t get hurt.”
“I’ll do that,” I murmur.
Will I, though? All of it sounds terrifying.
I go back to eating and try to ignore the way my stomach knots at the thought of what Jack is thinking right now.
Could it be over as quickly as it started?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jack
Doc Sutton tightens her jaw as she stands by her truck, arms crossed, eyes scanning the cattle with a mixture of frustration and concern.
“You see that?” she asks, nodding toward a few cows swaying slightly on their feet, their hides dull under the midday sun. “Some of them have the signs—labored breathing, sluggish movements. This isn’t just a virus, Jack. I’ve seen cases like this before. It’s poisoning.”
I fold my arms and exhale hard. “Poisoning? You sure?”
She nods grimly. “I’m not saying someone went and dumped arsenic in their feed, but it’s something unnatural. Could be deliberate.”
“Could it be because of the drought?”
“I mean…it could be. That’s why I’m doing the toxicity reports, but none of the other ranches are having this issue.”
“We’re the biggest ranch in the area, though, so maybe?”
“Anything is possible.”
“Lane.” His name tastes bitter in my mouth.
The fire wasn’t enough. Now he is coming for the cattle?
Doc Sutton watches me closely. “Wouldn’t be a stretch to think so. You got any of that feed left from the last few days? I want to test it.”
“Yeah. I’ll get it loaded in your truck before you leave.”
She sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. “Jack, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you need to be careful. If Lane’s behind this, he’s not gonna stop at the herd.”
My fingers curl into a fist. “Let him try.”
She shakes her head but doesn’t argue. “He was running his mouth in town, you know that right?”
“I think I’ve had at least five people tell me as much. He’s out for blood and…he’s a hot head. That entire family is.”
“I’ve heard. The sheriff is looking for him. Maybe I’ll look into getting cameras set up on the property or something.”
“Most of the other ranches do. With Oakmont Holdings running around before, it seemed safer to be ready if they came swinging in.”
“Oakmont Holdings?” I ask.
“Yeah, they were a development company. They’ve approached people with about five different names, promising something different to everyone. They set fires. They were responsible for the outbreak before. They’re pretty shady.”
“Are they still around?”
“I don’t know for certain, but I do know that Dad has cameras everywhere, as well as my in-laws. You might remember how stubborn my dad is,” she says lightly.
“That I do,” I chuckle. “If you want to send me a link to the cameras your dad got, that would be helpful.”
