Читать книгу Loyal Wolf - Linda Johnston O. - Страница 10

Chapter 4

“She was there.”

While still a wolf, Jock had loped through the woods back to the house near which he’d previously shifted. As planned, Ralf had gotten inside and had opened the door for him when he’d returned.

Jock had just morphed back to his human form. He’d grabbed the clothes that Ralf had folded neatly and left on a cleaned spot on the floor, then threw them on.

Now, inside the dismal and filthy hovel, he was dressed and angry and wanted to slam something. Except for spotting a few flaws in their security and some possible entry points, his initial observation had been totally inconclusive. He still had no sense of the extent of the likelihood for peril looming around the former ranch, but he definitely hadn’t ruled out the conceivability of those now staying there being at least skilled and dedicated terrorists and possible anarchists, as well.

He needed to get inside, though, to check for the extent of their weaponry.

Now he knew all his frustration was evident as he spoke to Ralf.

“Who? Kathlene? Where was she?” Ralf had placed his equipment on the floor and was now stowing it in his backpack again. He stopped, though, facing Jock in the dim glow of the flashlight he had left on for illumination.

“Near the old ranch, outside the fence like I was, also hiding in the woods. But I scented and heard her, then saw her. Damn the woman. She must have been following us. Does she like throwing herself into potential danger?”

“I think you know the answer to that,” Ralf said drily. Which only made Jock want to slam something all the more, like the wall. Not Ralf, and certainly not Kathlene—although, had she been nearby, it wouldn’t have been outside the realm of possibility for him to grab and shake her.

And he knew what a bad idea that would be...touching her again at all. He’d want to kiss those defiant lips, and more.

Well, he would have time to cool down before seeing her at lunch again tomorrow.

By then he would have thought of a brilliant way to convince her to back off and let Ralf and him do their jobs.

At least he hoped so.

“Did she know it was you?” Ralf asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Of course not.” But Jock wondered nevertheless. Had she just shown up there because that was what she did—keeping an eye on the place where she thought a lot of dangerous people were gathering? That was a viable theory, of course. But unlikely for this evening.

Had she instead followed them—him?

That was something else he would have to check into tomorrow.

* * *

Kathlene was tired when she reported to work the next morning.

That wasn’t surprising. She hadn’t slept much.

Her mind kept buzzing around thoughts of her new Alpha Force best friends. Especially the so very sexy Jock Larabey, her supposed old buddy.

And their attempts to exclude her from the investigation.

Plus that strange visit of hers to the anarchists’ enclave last night, thinking she would see Jock hanging around outside, near where she was, after leaving Ralf at that old house...but instead seeing only a wolf.

A particularly strange-acting wolf...

Now, inside the sheriff’s station, in the assembly room waiting for the day’s instructions, she kept herself from yawning by sheer willpower.

The dozens of other deputies taking their seats on folding chairs around her would only rib her about it if they saw.

The noise around her was growing—loud male voices hailing each other, chairs being dragged around the wooden floor, shrill feedback from a microphone that Sheriff Melton Frawley’s top assistant, Undersheriff George Kerringston, was testing from the row of chairs up front that faced the rest.

Hardly any sound of female voices. Oh, yes, there were a couple of other deputies toughing it out like Kathlene. Or, actually, not like Kathlene. Deputy Betsy Alvers and Deputy Alberta Sheyne were perfectly happy being obedient underlings who did as Melton said, filling out paperwork at the station and bringing coffee to the big, brave men in the department.

The other couple of female deputies had resigned and moved away. There wasn’t even a local police department for them to join, since the county sheriff’s department was the only law enforcement in this area other than the state highway patrol on the major nearby roads. Only Kathlene attempted to keep up the job as they had once all known it.

That had become a daily fight. But she was no quitter.

And now, with her concerns about the apparent anarchists, she felt she owed it to the town, to the many people who remained her friends, to see this through.

“Hey, good lookin’.”

A thin man dressed just like her sat down on the empty chair beside her, sliding over so their hips met.

“Hey, ugly guy,” she said back, turning to smile up into the face of Senior Deputy Tommy Xavier Jones, the man who appeared to be her only supporter in the higher ranks of the department.

Tommy X had been a deputy for nearly twenty years. He had short gray hair, a long, almost equine face, and a lot of wrinkles. He was the tallest member of the department, was great friends with the town’s ranking politicians and dated a county commissioner, who also happened to be Kathlene’s friend.

He could get away with bucking the current regime within the Sheriff’s Department—and did.

And fortunately, he remained Kathlene’s champion, too.

“So—do you anticipate anything exciting today?” he asked, nodding toward the front of the room where Sheriff Frawley was about to take the microphone.

“Here? Nope. But I’m having lunch with my old college friend Jock, the one I told you about. I saw him briefly yesterday. He’s here with a friend on the way to Yellowstone and I’ll spend as much time as I can with them before they leave.”

Even with someone as close to her as Tommy X, Kathlene had decided to maintain the cover story—partly because she’d been instructed to if she wanted continuing help from the elite and covert Alpha Force, whatever it was, and partly because she didn’t dare allow her personal investigation of the anarchists become the knowledge of anyone here, not even Tommy X. Tommy X was a nice guy, trustworthy—but if he let even a hint of what was going on drop in front of anyone here who wanted to curry favor with Sheriff Frawley, she’d be toast.

“Attention, please.” That was Kerringston, shouting into the microphone although he didn’t have to. He knew that. He’d been told nearly daily since his promotion to undersheriff six months earlier, when the former sheriff had retired and Melton Frawley was promoted into his position.

Before the good old days had ended, Kathlene thought. Unlike today.

Kerringston gave his greeting and handed the mike to his boss. Melton did his usual song and dance of thanking his people, telling them to do a good job, going over the stuff that had been investigated yesterday—which amounted to nearly nothing unless one was impressed with local traffic stops.

And then the sheriff finished. He didn’t look toward Kathlene. He didn’t have to.

But she knew exactly whom he spoke to next, since he did so often.

“Now, we’ve had a few more local applications for hunting licenses. Like always. Nice for the economy since the licenses aren’t cheap, plus some of the sportsmen—that’s what they consider themselves, you know—are joining the others already here who’re practicing their shooting skills and all. I’ve talked to them. They talk to me. No one’s been hurt as they do their target practice—still. And no one will be hurt.”

He stopped, looking over the heads of nearly all the deputies quietly facing him, some jabbing each other in the sides with their elbows as they nodded toward Kathlene and laughed.

“So...today’s a new day. Anyone want to ruin our meeting by objecting to our visitors?” This time, he shot a look right at Kathlene, challenging her, even as he guffawed aloud.

She said nothing. Just looked down as if there was something loose on her utility belt that she had to check.

Same as every day. Even as she felt her face flush, her insides churn.

His discussions with the sportsmen suggested they didn’t mind authority, so they couldn’t be anarchists, could they? Or was he being wooed by them so he’d leave them alone?

Melton obviously wanted her to quit and run. She knew it. And she was tempted daily. Like now. After he had humiliated her—again.

“You okay?” Tommy X whispered without looking at her. He’d already told her that his standing up and arguing in her favor would only garner more reaction from the sheriff and nearly all his minions.

“Fine,” she said. As always.

This time, though, she had something to add. For once.

“But I’m really looking forward to having lunch today with my dear old college friend,” she told Tommy X.

* * *

In the late morning gloom, Kathlene had walked briskly down the busy Cliffordsville sidewalk from the sheriff’s station toward the Clifford Café, the place she had chosen to meet Jock and Ralf. She’d called to let them know the address.

She had gotten there first and grabbed a table in a corner. Now she looked around. She knew maybe a half dozen patrons there, some waiting for their meals and others eating already. As she caught the eyes of a few, she smiled and lifted her hand in a wave of greeting. She remained in uniform since she would return to duty in a little less than an hour, so they clearly knew who, or at least what, she was.

This wasn’t usually where she spent her lunchtime, but it seemed an appropriate place for today.

The place smelled delicious, with the aroma of grilled meats and baking bread in the air. The sound of voices was mostly a low hum. She couldn’t make out what was said in any conversations, but that was fine with her.

Even so, none of the tables in this busy joint was completely immune from eavesdropping by the nosy locals who frequented it. In a way, that was a good thing. Word would get out that Kathlene had publicly dined with those friends she’d been talking about. Nothing sneaky about that. Not worth anyone spending any time puzzling over or talking about.

Unless, of course, those friends of hers were successful in outing, and taking federal custody of, some or all of the sportsmen. If word got out, that might be something worth more than some lunchtime gossip.

In any event, this wasn’t Kathlene’s usual midday meal. Her favorite lunch on days she was on duty was to grab a sandwich to go at one of the chains where she could choose everything from the bread to the meat and all other ingredients. That way, she could stuff it with all the salad makings she could want.

It was too hard to eat salads in patrol cars. And fortunately, the guy who was usually her partner, chosen especially for that role by her buddy Sheriff Frawley, could also get all the unhealthy menu items he wanted, too.

That way, Deputy Jimmy Korling didn’t gripe at her. At least no more than usual.

Today he had griped, though, since she was actually taking an hour to have lunch by herself. Well, not exactly by herself. With her old college buddy Jock and his traveling companion, Ralf.

“Can I bring you a drink to start with, Deputy Baylor?” The server had obviously read Kathlene’s name tag. She wore a dress with a short skirt covered by a dainty apron—the kind of woman, Kathlene was sure, that Sheriff Frawley expected all his female deputies to be. Not that she had anything but complete respect for this server, who also wore a name tag. Hers said she was Addie. But Addie had chosen to take on this kind of job.

Kathlene hadn’t.

“Just a cup of coffee,” Kathlene said, smiling. “And a recommendation for what I should order after my friends arrive.”

As she said that, she glanced past the server’s shoulder toward the front entrance. There they were—Jock and Ralf were just entering the restaurant. As they looked around, Kathlene half stood and waved.

“Are your friends here now?” Addie asked.

“Yes. I’m sure we’ll be ready to order soon. Your suggestions?”

Addie described the specials—a turkey club sandwich, a meat-loaf platter, the soups of the day. By the time she was through, she went over them again as Jock and Ralf pulled their chairs from beneath the table and took their seats. “I’ll give you a few minutes to decide,” she said after taking their drink orders.

Kathlene noticed how the pretty brunette server’s eyes skimmed approvingly over Jock, who smiled back. Oh, yeah, the server had noticed how sexy he was. How could she help it? But that didn’t matter to Kathlene. Couldn’t matter.

So why did she want to shake the waitress and tell her to go get their drinks? Fast.

“Do you have any other recommendations?” Ralf asked. This time his T-shirt was blue with a circular logo representing the Montana flag in the middle, along with the state motto “Oro Y Plata”—gold and silver. He’d definitely done his homework before coming here, probably ordered his shirt online. His toothy grin was friendly, not suggesting at all that he was anything but what he pretended to be: a visitor who’d come here along with a friend on a road trip.

Jock, on the other hand, was also in jeans but with a snug black T-shirt on top. It hugged his ample muscles and emphasized the tightness of his hot body. He wasn’t smiling at Kathlene, though. Instead, his hazel eyes regarded her with an expression she couldn’t quite read. Curiosity? Irritation? Challenge? Maybe all of the above—but she was entitled to feel each of those emotions even more than he did.

Although she had no doubt that he believed otherwise.

She turned back to Ralf. “I don’t eat here often, but when I do I usually order one of the specials. I’ve never had a bad meal at this place, though, so just pick whatever sounds best to you.”

At least here, sitting at a table, she could order a salad. The Cobb salad at this café was one of the best she had ever tasted, so she knew that would be her selection.

The server returned. Ralf ordered the meat-loaf special, Jock the sandwich and Kathlene her salad.

Then it was time for them to put on their act, pretend for those surrounding them to be longtime friends.

But Kathlene needed to give these men a reminder. They’d apparently tried to do something without her last night. Today, to maintain cordiality in their relationship, she could understand and agree with it, but only on a limited basis. And she would first make it clear that they hadn’t gotten rid of her for this evening.

“So did you sleep well last night?” she began, aiming an enormous, friendly smile toward Jock.

His return grin was wry—an utterly sexy look on his craggy face. “Sure did. How about you?”

“Eventually, sure. But you know, I remembered something I wanted to tell you after I left and decided to go back rather than to just call you. Imagine my surprise when I saw you driving away down the road.” She kept her smile large but her voice was very low. “I knew you didn’t intend to check on that...place I’d told you about, since you’d have let me know and invited me to come along, as we agreed. Sure enough, I noticed that you’d stopped not there but farther down the road, only...” She wasn’t quite sure how to continue. Things had become murky after that, and she hadn’t really been able to observe either of these men or what they’d been up to. She’d essentially lost them in darkness, and neither had shown up in the area she expected they would.

Addie returned to their table and placed their food in front of them. “Enjoy,” she said, “and let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

Oh, there was something else Kathlene needed, all right, but the server wasn’t the one who could help her. Addie lingered a bit more than necessary, refilling their water glasses and making a point of joking a little with Jock, who responded as if he enjoyed it. As if flirting with their waitress was the best thing that had happened to him that day.

Which only annoyed Kathlene all the more.

Ignoring Jock, she turned to Ralf after Addie had left. “I admire the way you discovered that old, abandoned house down the road, but I wasn’t sure what you were up to.” Once again, she kept her voice muted even as she all but batted her eyelashes at him so anyone observing them would think she was having a grand old time flirting with her buddy’s friend. “Just looking for a closer venue to use as headquarters for the investigation we’ll be conducting at the ranch?”

Ralf’s features seemed to grow even darker. He glanced at the man who was evidently his commanding officer.

“You could say that.” Jock’s smile was rigid now, his voice low but sharp. “And we will include you when it makes sense. But it didn’t last night during our preliminary recon.” He paused, and his hazel eyes grew icy. “You have no business following us. For all you know, there could have been some major danger there and we might not have known you were around to help protect you.”

That again. He seemed determined to keep her out of danger, out of trouble. The idea should have warmed her, but instead it made her chill. Had they made no progress at all after her demonstration that she could protect herself, at least in hand-to-hand combat?

But this wasn’t the place to encourage a major argument with Jock Larabey. Not with so many people around who might overhear them, especially if they raised their voices.

“I get it,” she said as neutrally as she could. “But look, I really need to be able to trust you both. At least tell me what you’re going to do, where you’re going to go.” She hesitated. “And it frustrated me last night when I lost track of you. I didn’t see you anywhere near the ranch when I got there. I only saw a...well, it looked like a wolf. It seemed to be stalking the outside of the compound. Were you around? Did you see it—and me—too?”

There was no immediate response from either man. They glanced at each other, though, as if their silence spoke volumes between them.

What was going on?

“Those guys purport to be hunters,” she went on when they still said nothing. “I had the sense that the wolf had some purpose to be there. Isn’t that silly? But I’d have hated to see one of them shoot the animal. There is no license for killing wolves this early in the year, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if they used the poor thing for target practice, anyway.”

She’d been watching their expressions as she talked. Once again Jock’s look appeared to say lots that she couldn’t read. But he finally spoke. “You’re right, Kathlene,” he said, amazing her—only she wasn’t sure what she was right about. “There’s something we’ll show you and explain after lunch. Will you have a few minutes?”

Not really, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. She’d just have to face the wrath of her partner, Jimmy, after calling him to tell him she’d be late.

And dealing with his anger wouldn’t be pleasant.

But she had a feeling it would be worth it...to learn whatever Jock Larabey was now willing to tell her.