Page 15 of Mike

Welker quickly shook his head. “Even if you hadn’t found these babies, I’d believe you. I’ve been in enough situations where the roiling in my gut has saved me, so I’m not dismissing your feelings.”

Welker Vestore, Mike knew, had been a Navy Seal prior to taking a job with the BPD and SWAT. His opinion mattered to Mike, and made him feel less paranoid.

“So what now?” Mike asked. He wasn’t pleased with the timing of the SWAT team’s away drills this weekend; not knowing who was responsible for the cameras. He hated leaving his house empty.

But Mike couldn’t exactly excuse himself from the exercises for something that might be a harmless prank.

Then again, what if it was an old enemy? Or… Shit. A voyeur with some kind of fixation on him or his kids? The fact that the surveillance had been positioned to show his bedroom, as well as those of his children, made Mike wonder, as well as see red.

Welker answered Mike’s question. “Now I find out where these came from, if I can, and you proceed from here as if you’re being watched at all times.” Welker turned knowledgeable eyes toward his. “Have you swept the rest of the property for cameras? The interior and exterior of your house for bugs? Have you checked your truck and your daughter’s car for tracking devices?”

“No to all of it,” Mike told him. “The minute I found these I called you, figuring we’d do a deeper dive once you took care of the known situation.”

“Okay. Let me get my equipment out of my truck, and we’ll scope everything out.”

“Thanks, Welk. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Welker shrugged and clapped Mike heartily on the back. “I think you would have figured it out.”

It took over an hour—Welker and Mike being followed closely by Mike’s inquisitive kids this time—to ascertain there were no additional cameras inside or outside the house. And no bugs. Which made Mike feel a little better. The cameras were creepy enough, but at least no one had been listening in on his family.

Dilly’s vehicle was also clear, but the minute Welker began scanning the chassis of Mike’s seen-better-days truck, a blaring alarm sounded.

“Bingo,” Welker said. “It looks like we have a tracker.” He went low, then pointed to the underside of the rear chassis.

Mike dropped to the ground, and using his cellphone’s flashlight, quickly spotted the little bogey. “Got it.”

He reached out a hand to pluck it off, but then…

“Stuck?” Welker asked from above.

“Nope.” Mike slid out from under his car and looked up at his three-person audience. “What do you think about me leaving it there?” he asked.

“Dad!” His son, Tim, was the first to complain. “That’s dangerous. You want someone to know where you are all the time?”

Welker, however, was nodding, as was Dilly.

“Duh,” Dilly turned to her brother and gave him a superior look. “How else is he going to catch whoever’s stalking him?”

“Dilly’s right,” Welker agreed, then focused on Mike. “This will almost certainly lure whoever it is to your position. If you think you can remain vigilant enough to catch them, night or day, no matter what you’re in the middle of, then leave it in place.”

Mike thought for a moment. “What if we set up some surveillance of our own around my house? Something that will alert me if anybody gets close?

Welker grinned. “Now you’re talking. How many times have I told you that you need some kind of security out here in the boonies?”

Mike grunted. There was no need to let Welker know he’d been right. The man had a fairly healthy ego as it was. “Yeah, well, I haven’t had any problems until now.” Mike thought out what he might need. “Maybe a couple cameras on the driveway, and one that encompasses the entire back yard? That ought to cover things, don’t you think?”

“I like it,” Welker replied. “I’ll get on it right away so it will be done before we leave for the quarries tomorrow. I’ll just run home, grab what I need, and come back. As soon as I have the stuff activated, I’ll have you download the apps so you can access everything.”

“That’ll be great,” Mike said, feeling a little better now about leaving his property unattended.

“Wait.” Welker turned back after he’d taken a few steps away. “What about your truck? Do you want something on it, as well?” the man asked. “Not a camera, because it’s hard to hide any unit on a vehicle where people won’t see it. I was thinking more along the lines of a motion detector. If someone so much as puts a finger on your truck and jiggles it, it will alert to your phone.”

“Damn, you have the gadgets, Welk,” Mike praised. “Absolutely. Do it.”

Dilly, who had been listening avidly, spoke up. “Uh, Dad? Don’t say no before you think about it, but are you sure I can’t stay home over the weekend and keep an eye out? With all the spy stuff being put up, I should be safe, and I’m not helpless.”

Yeah. No. Mike had made sure both his kids had self-defense training, but that was beside the point. Mike knew Dill was seeing herself as the hero, catching any trespassers who might show up. And…hell, no. The thought was enough to give him hives. “Absolutely not,” he barked. “You and Tim will be leaving for Gram and Gramp’s tonight.”

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