Page 137 of The 9th Man

“It’s gone.”

She stared at him, incredulous. “Gone?”

“I was attacked by one of the men. We fell down a shaft. In the commotion I dropped the pack. It’s gone.”

“Did you look for it?”

“No. I just let it go.”

She heard the sarcasm in his voice.

“I looked,” he said. “It’s gone. Dropped into a deep, black pit.”

“So all this was for nothing?”

“I wouldn’t say that. You got your revenge.”

67

College Park, Maryland

Friday — April 3 — 11:20A.M.

LUKE HAD BEEN BUSY.

He and Jillian had made their way back to David Eckstein’s property. The house had burned to the foundation, nothing left, and the old man’s body remained in the barn, which he examined one last time. They’d retrieved the horses and quickly headed back to the ranger station. There, they’d left the animals for Hedow and contacted Stephanie, who prompted an immediate and dramatic response. A cleanup team was dispatched to deal with the mess and bodies. Thankfully, everything had occurred in a remote location. The National Park Service was brought in to secure the area so the teams could work undisturbed. A private jet had been waiting at Cheyenne Regional that whisked Jillian cross-country. He stayed behind. There were things to do here. Official things that did not concern her. So they said their goodbyes, the relationship chilled to nearly ice. They’d spoken little on the journey out of the wilderness. But on the tarmac before she boarded the plane, they’d made a semi-peace.

“I know you don’t agree with me shooting Talley,” she said. “But I thought you were in trouble. I did what I thought best. Just like when I killed the first guy.”

“Forget it. It’s done.”

“I appreciate all you did. I really do. Thank you. What about Rowland?”

“That’s not my problem. Or yours. My boss will handle him.”

“Going to be hard without any evidence.”

“She’ll figure it out. You can count on that.”

And he meant it.

Once she was gone he’d contacted Stephanie again. He’d lied to Jillian about the evidence being lost. This was a classified mission and Jillian knew way too much already, so Stephanie had suggested lessening her knowledge.

He’d misled Jillian and not mentioned that everything was safely tucked away at the mining camp. A helicopter returned him to the site and he retrieved his pack. All other tangible items from the shoot-out, including bodies and the helicopter wreckage, had been removed. Eckstein had been buried on his property. Only the barn and ruined foundation remained. What would happen to it? That wasn’t the Magellan Billet’s responsibility.

Luke, though, had several problems.

“Tell me what’s on your mind?” Stephanie asked on a secure line.

“Just a theory.”

“Care to explain?”

“Never change your hair color from the floor.”

“Excuse me?”

“Another of my mama’s favorite sayings. Translated it means, don’t make big decisions when you’re at your lowest.”

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