Or not like. How did you feel when he showed up?”
“I was happy for Dad’s sake. But…” She stopped, hating to say anything against the dead man.
“But what?” prompted Swede.
“But… I didn’t like him. I didn’t like the avariciousness I heard from his everyday words or his constant assessing looks at my father, the shop, the house. As if to say if something happened to Dad, he’d be happy to step into his shoes. But he’d never fill them.” She ran a hand through her hair. “He wasn’t half the man Dad is.”
The others nodded. “Then for the moment we’ll assume he had something to do with this as the one terrorist implied. That his death was a falling out among thieves.”
“What a thought.”
“Have you any better hypothesis?”
Shadow’s soft voice belied something else entirely. A sidelong glance his way confirmed her initial impression. That man handled danger like a baker handled bread dough.
And Swede. The big man looked like he’d used full size trees as toothpicks and snap them in half when he was done. But Hawk, there was something so implacable in his visage, she wondered if he wasn’t the most dan-gerous. “No,” she said in a quiet voice. “I don’t have a clue what’s going on.”
A car drove in as she finished speaking. “That’s Paul.” She walked over and talked to her friend. He got out and unloaded the gear from the trunk. “Thanks for this, Paul.”
He nodded. “Not an issue. Bring it back when you’re done.” She smiled her thanks as he pulled away.
Once he was out of sight, she turned to the others. “Ready?”
A scant half hour later, she was directing them to the turn off she’d taken first thing in the morning. The shadows from the tall trees cast the entrance in darkness. Only she’d been here many times over. She turned on her headlamp and led the way in. They were fully geared for anything, and like this morning, she hoped for nothing but a nice hike. If they were so lucky.
As they walked, she studied the men and realized they moved easily, fit and with lethal smoothness. Like Hawk, they made no noise as they walked.
In contrast, she felt like an elephant with every step she took. No matter how much she tried, the leaves still crackled under her feet.
“You’re trying too hard. Instead of walking on the ground,” Hawk said, correctly interpreting her frustration, “step inside the ground and be one with it.”
She stopped and considered what he was saying then closed her eyes and stepped again. Her steps were softer. More in tune. Good. Well, better at least.
They entered the first cave, and she took the lead across the same cavernous space she’d walked this morning. And led them to the other cave and on and on. By the time they were at the tunnel, and she had to squirm through on her belly, she was comfortable with her companions’ skill. They took to this like they likely took to every other challenge. Although Swede might find this part of the journey a little small. “This next section is tight,” she warned. “So suck in your guts.”
And she dove into the tight channel. By the time she made it through, dirt falling down on her face and neck and coughing out as much dust as she could, she struggled to her feet in the last cavern – the one where she’d found the bullet – and reached for her water bottle. She was still drinking when the others crawled out behind her.
Swede was covered. In fact, as she watched him come out, she realized he must have ploughed the tunnel wider with those damn shoulders of his. Shadow came behind him and made the journey look easy. And it probably was.
“So Swede, did you make it big enough I can walk through on the way back?”
The big man, now dusty with sand, spat and gave a chuckle. “You should have let me lead. I’d have made it easier for you this time too.”
She laughed and motioned to the far side. “It’s in this cave that I found the bullet.”
“Where?” Hawk was
“I was happy for Dad’s sake. But…” She stopped, hating to say anything against the dead man.
“But what?” prompted Swede.
“But… I didn’t like him. I didn’t like the avariciousness I heard from his everyday words or his constant assessing looks at my father, the shop, the house. As if to say if something happened to Dad, he’d be happy to step into his shoes. But he’d never fill them.” She ran a hand through her hair. “He wasn’t half the man Dad is.”
The others nodded. “Then for the moment we’ll assume he had something to do with this as the one terrorist implied. That his death was a falling out among thieves.”
“What a thought.”
“Have you any better hypothesis?”
Shadow’s soft voice belied something else entirely. A sidelong glance his way confirmed her initial impression. That man handled danger like a baker handled bread dough.
And Swede. The big man looked like he’d used full size trees as toothpicks and snap them in half when he was done. But Hawk, there was something so implacable in his visage, she wondered if he wasn’t the most dan-gerous. “No,” she said in a quiet voice. “I don’t have a clue what’s going on.”
A car drove in as she finished speaking. “That’s Paul.” She walked over and talked to her friend. He got out and unloaded the gear from the trunk. “Thanks for this, Paul.”
He nodded. “Not an issue. Bring it back when you’re done.” She smiled her thanks as he pulled away.
Once he was out of sight, she turned to the others. “Ready?”
A scant half hour later, she was directing them to the turn off she’d taken first thing in the morning. The shadows from the tall trees cast the entrance in darkness. Only she’d been here many times over. She turned on her headlamp and led the way in. They were fully geared for anything, and like this morning, she hoped for nothing but a nice hike. If they were so lucky.
As they walked, she studied the men and realized they moved easily, fit and with lethal smoothness. Like Hawk, they made no noise as they walked.
In contrast, she felt like an elephant with every step she took. No matter how much she tried, the leaves still crackled under her feet.
“You’re trying too hard. Instead of walking on the ground,” Hawk said, correctly interpreting her frustration, “step inside the ground and be one with it.”
She stopped and considered what he was saying then closed her eyes and stepped again. Her steps were softer. More in tune. Good. Well, better at least.
They entered the first cave, and she took the lead across the same cavernous space she’d walked this morning. And led them to the other cave and on and on. By the time they were at the tunnel, and she had to squirm through on her belly, she was comfortable with her companions’ skill. They took to this like they likely took to every other challenge. Although Swede might find this part of the journey a little small. “This next section is tight,” she warned. “So suck in your guts.”
And she dove into the tight channel. By the time she made it through, dirt falling down on her face and neck and coughing out as much dust as she could, she struggled to her feet in the last cavern – the one where she’d found the bullet – and reached for her water bottle. She was still drinking when the others crawled out behind her.
Swede was covered. In fact, as she watched him come out, she realized he must have ploughed the tunnel wider with those damn shoulders of his. Shadow came behind him and made the journey look easy. And it probably was.
“So Swede, did you make it big enough I can walk through on the way back?”
The big man, now dusty with sand, spat and gave a chuckle. “You should have let me lead. I’d have made it easier for you this time too.”
She laughed and motioned to the far side. “It’s in this cave that I found the bullet.”
“Where?” Hawk was
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