Page 59 of No Man Left Behind

Elina stood with him. “I’m coming with you.”

At least half the room rose as well. Sam nodded. “Let’s go.”

Chapter19

A Marked Man

Marcus wanted to run full speed to the sawmill where they’d parked. For a moment, he considered racing ahead with a few of the faster runners but discarded it. He wasn’t going to leave Elina unprotected.

He doubted the car could be a decoy or that the man knew where they were but he wasn’t taking chances. Not with her safety.

Troy and the others could handle anything that came up in the woods. If the vehicle belonged to a tourist, there was no need to rush at all. If the car belonged to their animal-killer, he was likely going to be in the woods for a while. They’d let him incriminate himself with his actions.

They discussed the plan on the way, so once they reached their cars, half split to the left while Marcus led the others right. With so many people, they could come at this guy from both directions on the road and block it completely if necessary.

Troy and the rest of his team would move in from the town once Marcus’s team was in place. They didn’t want to advance too early and have the jerk slip away.

When they arrived, Marcus parked with the nose of his car only an inch or two away from the Rogue. From the other direction, Sam pulled up directly behind it. No way could the jerk angle enough to pull his vehicle away from the road. He’d be stuck on foot without a vehicle. Marcus noted the license plate and sent it to a deputy not far away. He’d apprised him of the situation, and Warner was ready to help. Another reason he needed more deputies. He couldn’t have civilians using police software. Although, he was sure at least a half-dozen of his friends could access the information without any trouble at all. Something he wanted to know nothing about.

Once everyone parked, they piled out of the vehicles and spread out according to the plan they’d worked out. Flynn held up his phone. “Epic says his group is moving in from both sides of the park.”

Marcus took Elina’s hand. “Stay close. You don’t have a weapon, and you’re not wearing a vest. Unless you want to stay in the car?”

As expected, she stared down that suggestion, making him grin. He kissed her quickly. “That’s what I thought. Okay, let’s go. Stay aware, and let me know if you sense anything.”

They moved out in pairs. Elina kept to his side and a half step behind as they moved through the ditch and into the trees. More leaves had fallen, and there was no way to move silently. Instead, the team spread out so that it wasn’t as obvious an entire group was moving in.

It was a perfect afternoon for a walk, and Marcus wished he’d made the time to do this with Elina before they were on the hunt for a criminal. Instead of enjoying the autumn leaves with her, he was on hyper-alert in case someone tried to hurt her.

The leaves made it next to impossible to follow a trail, so they were working in silence with their senses wide open.

A glimpse of bright blue ahead had Marcus raising his fist in the air. Everyone who could see him copied his movements and froze. He knew the message would be passed from group to group. The final man on each side would send a message to the other teams. The closer ones would help him close the trap.

Motioning Elina to remain where she was, he also sent a look to Flynn who wasn’t too far to the right. Flynn nodded and turned his attention to their rear. No one would sneak up from behind to attack Elina.

Marcus kept his eye on the blue as he closed in. The bright color had him thinking this wasn’t their guy but he didn’t drop his guard.

The blue didn’t move, making him wonder if the person had realized he wasn’t alone. Maybe waiting to see what Marcus and his team would do.

Marcus took his weapon out and held it low by his leg. The blue appeared to be a jacket, but the man wasn’t moving at the moment. Deciding he had enough backup to skip subterfuge, he moved around a large pine and stepped into a small clearing.

A man in his forties held a large camera in his hand. His attention was trained on the lower branches of a tree in front of him. He grimaced and shot a wry look at Marcus. “Hey.” Then he looked back at the tree and let the camera rest on the strap around his neck. “I’ve been tracking that turkey vulture for an hour. You couldn’t have waited ten seconds until I got the shot?”

Marcus didn’t get a single false vibe from the man. He kept his body angled to keep the gun out of sight. “Sorry about that. They can be elusive, can’t they?”

The man shrugged and managed a smile. “They seem to know when I’m about to press the shutter, and off they fly. They’ve got a bit of a nasty streak.”

“I take it you’re a birder, not a leaf-peeper?”

The man laughed. “A little bit of both. The leaves make for a great backdrop for the birds.” He lifted his camera and flipped through the viewscreen. “Got some great ones of the loons on the creek just over that way.”

Marcus spent a few minutes checking out the man’s photos and chatting. The man didn’t smell of cigarettes, and the images were time stamped for the last hour. “You come up this way often?”

The man shook his head. “First time. We’re driving through on our way to see our daughter up in Montreal. My wife loved the name of the town, so we stopped in for a bit. I figured I’d get some pictures while she’s shopping.”

At that moment, the man’s phone beeped. Grinning, he answered. “Hey, Janie. You all done?”

Marcus was close enough to hear the woman laugh and tell her husband about the things she’d bought in this quaint little town. Marcus waved and walked back to his team. There was no way this man was the one who’d killed those animals.

---