Page 72 of High Density

Slowly the dog gets to her feet, her head held low as she appears to focus on something on the other side of the creek. I sit up in my seat and squint my eyes against the sun, trying to make out what she could be looking at. It’s hard to see anything with the sunlight reflecting off the water almost blinding me.

An uneasy feeling has the hair on my neck stand on end, and I push myself to my feet, all of a sudden feeling too vulnerable sitting down. It’s almost like I have eyes on me.

My hand drops down to Ginger’s neck, my fingers curling around her collar, seeking a false sense of security. Part of me wants to rush inside and lock the doors behind me, but I’m afraid to turn my back on whatever—or whoever—is out there.

Without taking my eyes off the opposite bank of the creek, I take a few steps to the side before I start shuffling backward, dragging Ginger along with me. The dog fights my hold and suddenly starts barking furiously, as a black bear ambles out of the underbrush and saunters up to the edge of the creek. His head is up and his beady eyes are fixed on us.

Still, I sigh a breath of relief at the sight. When it comes to threats, I much prefer the four-legged kind.

That doesn’t mean I don’t jump when my phone starts ringing, a loud interruption of a silent standoff. On the other side of the creek, the animal appears startled as well, and as I grab my cell off the small table, he turns and runs back into the woods.

“Hello,” I answer, a little out of breath, as I keep my eyes on the trees where the bear disappeared.

“Go inside right now.”

I recognize Stephanie’s voice, but I’m confused.

“What do you mean?”

How does she know I’m outside? Is she here?

“Right fucking now, Janey,” she snaps, just as someone steps into the clearing across the water.

But it’s not Stephanie.

A sharp crack reverberates as splinters fly up from the chair next to me, and I dive for the door.

JD

What a fucking waste of time.

First of all, it was a bitch to get to the rodeo grounds, since it looked like everyone was coming and going at the same time, causing gridlock on the narrow roads through the park in both directions.

Yesterday was the last day of the rodeo, but the fair is still ongoing today, so the grounds are busy.

When I finally made my way to the trailers to find Jericho, his fancy SUV was parked in front, but the asshole wasn’t there. The first place I looked was the stockyard. The place was chaos with animals being loaded up in trailers, pens getting broken down and packed away, lots of people milling about but none of them Jericho. I finally bumped into one of Mackey’s hands who thought he saw him heading toward the auction arena, but there was no one there.

Then I got caught up trying to help wrangle a bull who’d managed to clear the gate on the side of the trailer ramp, and was charging toward the crowds of people at the fair. It took half an hour, a dozen men, several lengths of fencing, and a whole lot of cursing to get the animal into the damn trailer. But no one was hurt.

I thought for sure Jericho would show up after that excitement, but he is still AWOL when I get back to the trailer, dirty and sweating fucking buckets.

Damn bull, and damn Jericho.

I wasn’t able to find him in the stockyard and there is no way I’ll be able to locate him in the high-density crowd at the fair.

Getting in my truck, I briefly contemplate calling Janey to get Jericho’s number off her to see where he’s at, but I’ve already left her long enough and I’d rather just get back home. I’ll call the asshole from there.

As I turn my key in the ignition, my phone starts to ring. It’s Special Agent Kramer.

“Where the hell are you?”

The urgency in her voice has the blood run cold through my veins.

“Just leaving the rodeo grounds. Why? What’s going on?”

“Tell me Janey is with you?—”

It feels like the air is being sucked from my lungs as I shake my head, belatedly realizing no one can see.

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