Page 63 of Operation: Unify

“She and Ferd went to all the occupied cabins, and they headed for the barn. They were in there for about fifteen minutes, then raced out the back. After that, I lost them. Wait . . . Right after they passed the camera on the back of the barn, a shadowy guy followed them. I’m sure I see the outline of a rifle when I stop the video.”

Agent Ross tapped his shoulder and indicated they should leave. He followed the agent to the hall.

“If a figure followed them, we need to go look at the barn and check for footprints. That will give us some clue where they went.”

Connor nodded and grabbed his phone to call Junior. If he was already out there, they could check first. “My phone is dead.” He shook it, knowing that would do no good, but still angry that it happened. He’d had to use his phone so much over the last day that he’d had no time to charge it. That was the one weakness of cell phones.

“When we meet back up with Trent, we’ll get our numbers distributed so you’ll be reachable.” He kept walking.

Connor was less worried about his men, who could and would simply call anyone else on the team to find him. He was worried about Lacy who wouldn’t know who he was with, where he was, or how to reach him. Assuming she wasn’t captured.

He quickened his pace and got to the barn in record time. The florescent overhead lights were on, which was strange, they rarely used those preferring the dimmer incandescent bulbs. He switched on the other lights and turned the larger ones off.

Maximus was out of his stall and munching on a sack of grain that had been left on the floor. “What are you doing out here?” He took the horse’s halter and led him back to his stall.

Junior followed him. “Maximus was out when I got to the barn. The guys said he almost trampled them. He also claimed there were people in the barn who’d let the horse out.” Skepticism gave his voice an edge.

“I’m thinking the people he saw were Lacy, Ferd, and everyone from the cabins.” Connor tied Maximus back where he belonged and edged out of the stall.

“Why would they be out here?” Junior asked.

“I can only assume Lacy was worried about the safety of our guests with men coming. She couldn’t leave them stranded in their cabins. So, where would she take them?”

Edwyn strode up. “Unfortunately, they ran out the back and that’s where all the horses are let out to pasture. There’s not a hint of snow left there to look for tracks. But, over near that fence that connects to pasture two, there are prints over there that make no sense.” He leaned his head in that direction.

Connor went over to investigate, and Ross followed him. Agent Ross took out a flashlight and clicked it on. In the powerful beam of light, a trail of many footprints led to the fence, then over it. Ross followed the trail with his light until it disappeared over a small hill.

“I think we know what direction they went,” Ross said.

“Warm showers areavailable to anyone who wants them,” Gloria said as Lacy accepted a mug of hot coffee. “I put all the coats and shoes on the back porch. They’ll take some time to dry, but I have a heater out there.”

Gloria had taken charge the moment Ferd had welcomed everyone in. She’d dug through her own clothes, gotten out blankets, put coffee on, and made hot soup, all before Lacy could even think of what to do to help.

“Girl, sit. You’re soaked to the skin and dripping,” Gloria took her arms and led her to a kitchen chair. “That kind of thing will take the starch right out of you.”

Lacy found she could do little more than nod. She had to get word to Connor that she and everyone else were fine, they’d made it, but she didn’t know where he was. If he was still hunting those men, a phone call could give away his position. Even with his phone on silent, it would light up if he had it with him. She suspected he’d put it on do not disturb, which meant she couldn’t get through anyway.

With shaking fingers, she handed her phone to Gloria. “Do you have any rice? If I was like every other woman and carried my phone in my back pocket, it would’ve been safe.”

Gloria laughed. “I don’t do that nonsense. I’m too old to fish my phone out of my back pocket. Mine stays in my purse where it belongs.” She took the phone and laid it on the counter. “I’ll see what I can do.”

It wasn’t urgent and she wasn’t surprised when Gloria was immediately sidelined by one of the ladies who’d cut her knee while she was crawling through the pasture. The gash wasn’t deep but needed to be cleaned.

Ferd approached her, already changed into dry clothes and ready to help her mother. Without skipping a beat, she grabbed a box of instant rice from the cupboard, put some in a zipper bag and dropped the phone in it, then handed it back to Lacy.

“I sent Brendon a message, letting him know where we all are and that we are safe. I figured messaging my brother was a bad idea.”

“Good plan.” Her jaw shivered.

She’d wanted to make sure everyone got blankets and what they needed before she took anything. Their comfort and wellbeing was more important. Ferd headed to the stack of blankets and grabbed one off the top, then draped it around Lacy’s shoulders.

“If you want to, there’s a shorter line for my shower. You can use it in a few minutes.”

“You have two bathrooms in these houses?” She hadn’t been a part of designing any of the houses built on the Homestead. Connor had wanted each of them to be a little different and not the same as the cabins. He’d wanted them to feel more like permanent homes so all of Wayside’s families felt comfortable and wanted to stay.

“Yes. I love it. I basically have my own hallway which is great because I need privacy sometimes.”

“I bet.”

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