Page 69 of Mountain Refuge

As he drove, his mind whirled with the possibilities of a new location, albeit a temporary one. It might not be wise to take teens from Misty Hollow, but there were plenty of outlying areas and nearby towns. Finding Trapp and the kid wouldn’t be easy with his workload, but he’d find a way to make locating them a priority.

They made it to the campground at sunset. The Boss strolled up to the attendant’s “box,” pulled his handgun, and shot the grinning man between the eyes before the man could register what was about to happen. He snapped his fingers at a middle-aged man who worked for him. “Dispose of the body. You’re the new camp attendant. That camper is your home for now. You’re this man’s cousin and are taking over while he’s on vacation. Make sure there isn’t a woman waiting for him in the camper. If there is, dispose of her as well.” He climbed back into his vehicle and drove to a site in the center of the campground.

The sound of another gunshot let him know the attendant had found someone waiting for him in his camper. The Boss sighed.

Law enforcement would show soon. You couldn’t drive a long line of campers and RVs through town without attracting attention. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been another way to reach the campground.

He wasn’t wrong. An hour after they showed up at the campground, a sheriff’s car pulled through the gate, spoke with the man in the attendant’s box, and then headed The Boss’s way. He pasted on a smile, before grabbing a rag from the back of his truck and pretended to wipe his hands after setting up his temporary home.

“Howdy.” He approached the man getting out of the car.

“Howdy yourself.” The sheriff stood a few feet from him. “All you folks together?”

“Yes, sir. College fraternity, some relatives, lifelong friends…heard the fishing was good around these parts.” He thrust out his hand. “Bill Lincoln.” Not his real name, but it would do.

“No women on this trip?” His shrewd gaze roamed the campground.

“No, sir. Just the men’s yearly thing. We chose Misty Hollow this year.”

“How long are y’all staying, Bill?”

“At least a week, maybe longer. Depends on the fishing.” He kept the smile plastered on his face. “You can’t beat the scenery.” He glanced toward the lake.

“No, you can’t. Welcome to Misty Hollow.” He glanced at the attendant’s box.

“Something wrong?”

“No, I’m just not used to ole Hank taking a vacation.” He nodded. “Enjoy your stay.” He slid back in his car and drove away.

Bill narrowed his eyes. The sheriff was no dummy. He might cause some problems. If he did, the good ole boy would have an unfortunate accident. No one came between The Boss and what he wanted.

~

Taya watched all three dogs race to be the one to fetch the ball her niece tossed. A normal scene, a happy scene, but it wouldn’t last. Evil was coming. It was close. She felt it to her core. Taya raised a coffee mug to her lips and scanned the area behind the house. Anyone watching from the trees wouldn’t assume anything more than a family lived there. Three big dogs should dissuade anyone from coming close uninvited. So why the tense knot between her shoulders?

“You okay?” Ryan joined her on the deck and leaned against the railing.

“Today I am.”

“That’s all we can ask for, isn’t it? In a situation like this, it’s one day at a time.”

“Hmm.” She set her cup on the railing. “It’s just that I’m not used to waiting. I’m usually the one who goes after the bad guy rather than letting him come to me.”

“Which keeps Tracy safer?”

“Letting The Boss come to us.” She sighed. “I just want our lives back.”

“What is that?” He arched a brow. “Your normal life?”

“I don’t know. It was special forces. Then, six months of searching for Tracy. I don’t know what my life will be after this.” It pained her to know she had no idea what the future held.

“It’ll be whatever you make it.” He smiled and glanced to where her niece played with the dogs. “She’ll be a part of it, whatever you decide. Because of you, Tracy and other girls will have a future. Do that with your life. Keep saving kids being trafficked. You have the experience a lot of people don’t.”

She tilted her head up at him. “You’re a smart man, Ryan Boyne. I can’t think of anything I’d like more than to save more kids.” There was bound to be some reliable groups out there working on stopping trafficking that could use her skills. She could spend her time now researching those. “I need to purchase a laptop.”

“Okay. You can use my account. I’ll go log you in.” He took her cup into the house.

She called Tracy to come in, then followed Ryan to the kitchen table. After researching several models, she decided on a laptop that would suit her needs. “Where do I have it shipped?”

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