Page 52 of Operation: Chosen

They trudged along the road, watching for vehicles and animals. Ali’s heart seemed lodged in her throat, and swallowing was difficult. “What if the people we’re looking for are already there when we arrive?” She wanted to ask all the questions floating in her head while she had the chance before she had to keep silent.

“I’ve been told to only get information. I’m not supposed to face them without the police. So, I’ll be documenting as much as I can and as best I can.”

Ali felt tension rising inside her, and she wanted to argue. Any sort of video or photography on private property was illegal and could land them at the very least with a hefty fine. “What sort of documentation?”

He grinned, and she barely caught sight of his white teeth in the inadequate light. “I can’t take photos of people on private property, but currently that property is owned by the county since it was abandoned. That being said, I’m more interested in getting photos of things the police can use. People are great, but finding a face in a database without their name is difficult. Finding a license plate is not.”

And taking a picture of someone’s vehicle wasn’t illegal, even in the strictest sense of the law. “I see. So, our mission is to remain hidden and get as much information as possible. By trespassing.”

“We were told we could be here by the police. At least, I was. They know exactly where we are and what we’re doing. My horse was found on this property, so I have an interest in finding out who is running this operation.”

He held up a hand in front of him for both of them to keep silent. Ahead, light spilled from the cover of trees that surrounded the barn and fence where Skyfall had been. The low rumble of a truck broke the quiet night.

Ali whispered, “They’re going to get away!”

Eric jogged closer, and Ali kept to his side. This was her first stakeout, and she didn’t want to be the reason Eric got hurt when her entire motive for coming was to make sure he made it back home in one piece. He slowed his pace, keeping roughly to a crouch, and headed for the ditch. Tall grass soon covered him almost to his thighs.

He waved for her to join him, and she picked her way through the uneven foliage to his side. She opened her mouth to ask him a question, and he held a finger to her lips, the pressure as soft as velvet.

Voices came from the other side of the trees, and Ali scooted closer to Eric’s side, making sure she didn’t block his good arm. Eric slowly and carefully moved closer. One pace at a time. Keeping the noise to a minimum.

“Can someone explain to me what happened to the horses from this morning? Especially the gray? It was here when we went into town. That one was going to pull in the highest sale price. She was in great condition, looked good, healthy… Are you sure that car that came up here was just a couple women being nosy? The boss is going to be…”

Ali stepped on a twig as she moved, and thesnapsounded loud enough to be a gun shot in the dark. The men who had been talking comfortably a moment before went silent. “What was that? Clayton, go look.”

“I ain’t going anywhere alone. That could be a bear for all I know.”

“Bear? Out here?” The men chuckled.

“Could be.”

Eric slowly dropped to his knees and pulled Ali down with him. From that position, the tall grass was almost enough to fully cover them. Eric lowered slightly more as two men broke free of the tree coverage with a high-powered flashlight. They swung it back and forth along the ditch over the tops of the grass.

The light caught on the tips of the stalks, throwing strange shadows over the men’s faces. Ali closed her eyes and kept completely still. The men would see anything that moved and would probably skip over anything that didn’t. She held her breath just to be certain her breathing didn’t move the grass around her.

“Nothing there. Must have been something in the woods. You afraid of the big bad wolf?” the first man teased. “He’s going to get you.”

“Shut up. Let’s get those horses in the other trailer and get out of here. I don’t like this. Feels like we’re being watched. Next time, you can do this all on your own. We take them, we shouldn’t have to deliver them.”

“The boss doesn’t want any connection to him to be seen out here. That’s why we have to switch the trailers. If anyone notices that trailer at the auction, then people might suspect what’s going on.”

Eric gripped her arm tightly. They might be able to testify to what was said, but it would be he said/she said and very hard to prove, especially since they were trespassing. Proof that the deputy had agreed to this was flimsy at best. They needed physical evidence. Something beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Ali pressed her lips to Eric’s ear and whispered almost noiselessly, “I’m going to take my camera and get as many photos as I can of the truck, trailer, and horses. You can’t move as easily because of the cast. They might see it reflect in the moonlight. I’ll be careful.”

His skin was warm under her lips, heat radiating off his neck, and she forced herself to back away. Eric gripped her arm and held her there for a moment, shaking his head. He mouthed the words, “I don’t want you to go alone.”

She squeezed his hand and smiled even though she knew he couldn’t see it. This wasn’t the time for niceties. She’d come to help him, and she would. She fished her phone from her back pocket and held it almost to the ground while she adjusted the screen brightness to the dimmest setting, set the camera to take fifteen shots in succession, and turned the flash off.

She reached for Eric’s shoulder to use his strength to rise, and he suddenly gripped her hand and tugged her back down. The cone of light from a flashlight appeared in front of the truck headlights, and Ali squeaked at the sudden appearance.

The man holding the flashlight flicked the light toward them, and Eric dove deeper into the grass, pulling Ali on top of him and out of sight. His hand clamped over her mouth as they laid face to face in the grass. The entire area went dark and silent as the man muttered to himself about raccoons.

Ali’s breath was stuck somewhere in her chest as Eric took his hand off her mouth. She balanced her body over his, trying not to either fall or move. If she got up too quickly, she might injure his broken arm. If she didn’t get up quickly, she might not be able to resist the lure of those lips just a few inches away.

Eric buried his right hand into the hair on the back of her neck and in seconds, she found herself drowning as the grass brushed against them in the breeze. His lips ignited everything she’d held back for so long and forced her to feel again.

She anchored her hands on either side of his head and drove herself to end the kiss. There would be time for that later when she wasn’t wrapped in clothes that made her feel lousy and wasn’t worried about getting shot.

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