Undercover Hunter(126)

                Cade simply sat down on the snow, hard, as if his strings had been cut. For the first time she worried that he might have taken a sip of the brew, and there might be enough sedative in just a little amount to seriously affect him.

                But she still had no choice. She had to provoke Calvin in some way. He had to do something that would give her an excuse to react. Until she had cause, she couldn’t go in that barn unless he invited her.

                Unfortunately, Calvin led her around the north side of the barn, out of sight of the team that lay in wait. The sun rode the horizon now, casting a rosy glow over the mountains just west of the ranch. The trees climbing up the mountains still guarded mysterious shadows, but the light, roseate though it was, held an amazing clarity. Holding her phone up, she took some more photos.

                “You were right,” she told Calvin. “This is breathtaking. It’s amazing how fast those mountains just rise up.”

                “Well, we’re in what’s essentially a high valley. The foothills are farther east. It’s kind of like Denver, you know?”

                She nodded. Then, hearing the faint sound from the barn again, before he could stop her she darted over to a dirty window and peered in, using her hand to cup one side of her face. Little light penetrated the interior.

                “Hey,” said Calvin surprisingly mildly. His steps approached, crunching on snow.

                She turned quickly, trying to look apologetic, making sure he couldn’t get close without her knowing. “Can’t see a thing. I hoped I might see the owl. Sorry.”

                That’s when she noticed he had removed a glove. He was carrying something she couldn’t quite see.

                And he kept bearing down on her.

                “Calvin? Is something wrong?”

                He smiled, looking incredibly angelic except for his eyes. Those dark eyes seemed hard as obsidian.

                “Not a thing,” he answered, closing the distance between them.

                She shifted, moving to the side, trying not to get backed up against the wall.

                “You’re special,” he said.

                “Who, me?”

                “You look like my mother, you know. I recognized it the first time I saw you.”

                Her mouth went dry. Still no cause to summon help. She hoped Cade was on his feet again and just around the corner waiting, but she hadn’t heard any sounds of movement. The damn snow made enough noise that surely she would have heard something.

                “Did you hear?” she said, not caring that it was such a non sequitur it might tip him off. She had to provoke him. “Another boy went missing.”

                He just smiled. “He’s special, too, I guess.”

                Still not enough. He was now within arm’s reach. He lifted his ungloved hand and she saw it held a needle.

                She hit numeric button on her phone and dropped it, as she sidestepped yet again and slipped her hand inside her jacket to pull out her baton. With one flip she opened it.

                He stopped. “What’s that for?”

                “A lady never goes anywhere without protection.”

                “I’ll protect you,” he said. “Really. I want to.”