Page 43 of A Mile of Ocean

“You could pair Savannah with someone who knows how to shoot,” Birk proposed. “Same with Brogan. I can’t ride a horse worth a crap, but I make a damn good marksman. Set me up in one spot with a three-hundred-and-sixty view, and I guarantee it’ll make a difference.”

“In other words,” Lucien began, “they’re excellent with a rifle but can’t ride worth a hoot. Me? I’m not good on a horse either. So, put us somewhere to utilize our skills to the fullest advantage. We brought our own firepower.”

“And we brought Brody and Journey,” Beckett added. “They’re excellent trackers. Turn them loose, and they’ll sniff this guy out from wherever he’s hiding.”

“That makes sense,” Trent acknowledged, rubbing his forehead. “I’m sorry, guys. I’m just tired and not thinking clearly. I haven’t had more than six hours of sleep in two days. Most of the men are in the same boat.”

“Which is the reason you need fresh replacements,” Beckett suggested.

Savannah watched him start to muck out the horse stalls. “I can do that,” she reminded Trent, pleased she had backup behind her. “Go catch a few hours of sleep now that you have new volunteers.”

Trent hesitated, weighing the sincerity in her eyes. “I’m not trying to be an ass,” he finally said. “I’m reluctant to put anyone else in danger. That’s all.”

“I get that. We all do. But there are times when everyone could use a hand. I’d say you’ve reached that breaking point,” Savannah said.

“I appreciate the help. I do,” he repeated, handing her the pitchfork. “Could you check on Taco and Trilby and move them into the main house for me?”

“Absolutely,” Savannah said, taking the pronged fork out of his hands.

Trent shook hands with the men as he headed for the exit. “Thanks for coming. It’s almost nine o’clock now. Let’s have a meeting at noon to go over a new strategy. We’ll pair up, try to even out the teams, and work on placing people with high-powered weapons around the best spots.”

When he left the stable, Savannah looked at Brogan and shook her head. “Have you ever met a more stubborn man?”

“I’m married to one,” Brogan replied, bobbing her head toward Lucien.

“I’m standing right here,” Lucien proclaimed. “He looks beat, exhausted. Who are Taco and Trilby?”

“Border collies who just had puppies. They’re located in Trent’s office right now to keep them safe, warm, and away from all this chaos. Dolly looks in on them from time to time. I’ll find them a safe place to stay in the house,” Savannah said.

“Let me do that,” Brogan offered. “One thing I can do is take care of the dogs and keep them out of harm’s way.”

Across the barn floor, Beckett’s phone dinged with a text message. “Looks like Colt found the black pickup east of town, abandoned. The VIN number had been reported stolen a week ago from a Sacramento used car lot. It doesn’t help much to identify the guy. But they did manage to pull fingerprints off the steering wheel. If he’s in the system, they should get a hit.”

“That’s progress,” Lucien stated before turning to Birk. “We should probably help Trent come up with a new plan. The old one doesn’t seem to work. Any suggestions?”

“First, I’d station snipers as high up as possible to keep an eye on everything, not just one sector. It seems to me this guy is bent on getting into the house for whatever reason,” Birk judged. “He’s already breached it once when he took out Slade and thentried again last night, getting damn close. Was he looking for something in particular?”

“Sounds like it,” Lucien agreed.

“Exactly. Well, Beckett and I could be the guys who keep him from achieving that goal,” Birk said, looking over at his brother.

With a nod, Beckett pointed outside. “We should take a tour of the property, so we’ll know where best to set up. We need to get the lay of the land. Let’s take the dogs with us. Who knows? Maybe they’ll pick up his scent from last night.”

With the men gone, Savannah and Brogan finished up in the stable before heading to Trent’s office. They could hear the soft whimpering from the border collies as they approached the door.

At the sight of Taco and Trilby nestled together with their tiny puppies squirming and nuzzling for warmth, Brogan’s heart softened. She gently picked up a puppy, cradling it against her chest, admiring all of them. “Oh my gosh, they’re so cute. I want one.”

“Oh, I’d take them all in a heartbeat,” Savannah said. “Don’t you want to just snuggle them all at once? Come on, guys. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”

“We’ll probably need to make two trips,” Brogan reasoned, coaxing the adult dogs to follow her. “We don’t want Taco and Trilby to think we’re stealing their pups.”

Together, the two women led the dogs and their pups out of the office and toward the main house, entering through the kitchen and finding Dolly hard at work making lunch.

“Trent wanted us to bring them closer to you,” Savannah explained.

“Well, thank goodness for that,” Dolly stated, wiping her hands on her apron. “It should’ve been done days ago. I have the perfect spot for them all picked out. Let’s settle them inthe mudroom in that cozy corner next to the dryer. This should protect them from the noise of everything happening outside.”

“You mean the gunfire,” Savannah said. “I heard it got very intense last night.”

---