Chapter Sixteen
Luke
I get out of the SUV to find Adam and Savage standing at the front of the garage. Obviously, Kurt’s now sleeping. Ana slides out beside me and I shut the door. “What now?” I ask.
“Blake cleared the house,” Adam replies. “Satellite shows no movement.”
“There are places people can hide and go unseen,” Ana replies, “but I still don’t believe Kurt would allow himself to be tied up if we were going to be attacked.”
“He didn’t allow shit,” Savage replies. “We overtook him.”
“Maybe,” I say. “Maybe not. Either way, we need to get off this ranch while anyone who might be here is tucked away.”
“What do we know about Maverick or Phillips Senior?”
“Nothing that helps,” Adam replies. “These people know how to stay off the radar.”
“Of course,” I say, feeling fed up with getting nowhere. “Phillips Senior would be our obvious next stop.”
“As obvious as the big ass nose on that man’s face. Believe me, I saw his picture. Too damn obvious.”
“He’s right,” Adam replies. “They’ll be waiting for us. Blake will continue to use our resources to connect them in any way he can to the package. Blake also sent us help and that help is here and active. Dexter, Wyatt, and Smith. Smith and Wyatt are watching Phillips Senior. Dexter is watching for the next name on that list in Darius’s notebook. Right now, that’s led us nowhere.”
“Darius left us a key to a lockbox we’ve now located,” Ana replies. “Maybe something inside that box will connect the dots we need connected.”
“Where is it?” Adam asks.
“A gym in downtown Denver,” Ana replies.
“If that box is on the wrong radar,” Adam replies, “it could be a trap. We need to pull one of the guys and have them help. Smith is my suggestion.”
“Agreed,” I say. “I’ll text him and meet up with him.”
“I need to go get that SIM card before we leave,” Savage replies. “There might be something on there Blake can use.”
“That’s time we don’t have,” I reply. “That could trigger anyone hiding out to come out to play.”
“And yet we need that SIM card,” Adam chimes in. “I agree with Savage. We need to divide and conquer. We’ll stay here with Kurt and work him as a source. You two go to the lockbox with Smith.”
Ana eyes me and gives a small nod.
“All right then,” I say, “then that’s the plan,” because what else can I say? I can’t even figure out who to go punish right now to make this right. The only way to change that is to find something that tells me who deserves my wrath, and I’ve got plenty to go around.
And right now, we have a whole lot of nothing going on while the clock ticks on our three remaining days which are now two and some hours.
“Well, then let me get to it,” Savage says, his stare fixed on Ana. “Where’s the fucking Big Bear Rock, sweet pea? And where are all the booby traps your pop set-up? I’d rather not get blown up today. My birthday is in a month. My wife never refuses back rubs during my birthday month.”
“I need paper and a pen,” Ana says, and when Adam produces them, she writes out a whole hell of a lot of notes.
Savage eyes it all and grunts. “Well, it was a good life when I was here.” He glances around the group. “Tell my wife I loved her. Holy hell there’s a shit ton of booby traps.”
“Just follow the cross,” Ana says, showing him the way the clear path represents a cross. “And yes, that was on purpose. Kurt said anyone who survives that path has God on his side.”
“Fuck Kurt,” Savage grumbles. “I’ll be back in ten minutes, but I reserve the right to punch Kurt for putting me through that, even if you decide you trust him, Ana.”
“Please do,” Ana says. “He deserves it.”
I motion to her toward the SUV and start walking.
Once we’re both sealed inside, the keys are in the ignition, and I start the engine. Adam hits the button by the door to open the garage. Once we’re driving toward the gates of The Ranch, a sense of relief washes over me. The Ranch is a death sentence, at least for me and Ana. I don’t care if we never come back.