Page 71 of Silos and Sabotage

“Right.” Luke scribbled something else in his electronic notebook before shutting it. He angled his head at the stretch of hallway past Jordan’s door, indicating to Gage that he’d like to speak with him away from the others.

“Can you give me a minute first?” Gage needed to see for himself that Jordan was going to be okay.

“Yep.” The sheriff reached out to clap him on the shoulder. “Take as long as you need.”

“Thanks.” Gage remained glued to Ella’s side as Cassie led them to Jordan’s bedside.

His face was swollen almost beyond recognition.

Gage felt Ella’s breath leave her chest in a whoosh of agony. “Oh, Jordan,” she whispered.

He hugged her tighter against his side, noting out of the corner of his eye that Johnny had respectfully removed his Stetson.

“He was with Western Storm, as usual.” Cassie sniffled damply as she reached for his hand. It was heavily bandaged, so all she could do was lightly run her fingers over the white gauze. “I was catching up on some files at the front desk. Even though we got the back door repaired, the intruder broke it clean off its hinges this time. I?—

“Wait a sec,” Gage interrupted. “You think it was the same guy?”

“It’s just a gut feeling,” she declared hastily. “I can’t prove it, since we don’t have a security camera, but he was after Ella again, just like last time. When I heard the commotion and ran into the stable with a gun, the man was literally trying to beat her whereabouts out of Jordan.” A sob tore out of her at the memory. “The doctor says he has taser burns on his chest, so it wasn’t a fair fight.”

His heart pounded at the possibilities her testimony laid open. “Can you describe him?” She’d already told the police, but he hoped she’d be willing to repeat her story to him.

She threw her hands into the air. “This is the part where you write me off as crazy, because he didn’t have a face. Not really. It was all…” She paused to circle a finger around her own face, “melted together or something. I could see the indentions where his eyes should’ve been, but that’s about it.”

It was him, alright.The same guy Ella had described who’d attacked her father.

Gage exchanged troubled looks with her and Johnny.

“What?” Cassie demanded, frowning at the three of them. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Johnny waved a hand impatiently at him, urging him to confide what they knew about Jordan’s attacker. Gage gave him a rigid up-down nod. “The faceless creature you just described may have been at the scene of another crime.”

Her frown deepened. “Oka-a-ay.”

“Would you be willing to meet with a sketch artist to recreate the melted face?” He dropped his arm from around Ella so he could dig out his cell phone.

“Right now?” Cassie looked astounded.

“Only if I can reach my brother.” He mashed Rock’s speed dial button, fully expecting it to go to voicemail. As a precaution, he stepped outside the room to lean against the wall in the hallway while it rang.

Rock picked up on the fourth ring. “How’d you know I was back in town?” His familiar voice rang jovially across the line.

“I didn’t.” Gage tipped his head back against the wall, thankful to hear that his last living relative had survived yet another deployment. “So, what’s next? A long-overdue vacay, I hope? One with a detour to Heart Lake, I also hope.”

“About that,” Rock drawled. “I was thinking more along the lines of borrowing your guest house for a few days. Or weeks. Or months.”

Gage gripped the phone tighter. “What’s going on?” As a retired Army Ranger, he was well aware that the military didn’t send their soldiers on vacation for months on end.

“Medical retirement, bro.” Rock sounded wry. “I took some shrapnel in the knee and underwent a few surgeries.”

“When?” Gage didn’t realize he’d spoken so loudly until a few heads turned in his direction.

“Couple of months ago.”

Gage swallowed a groan. “You’ve been in the hospital all this time? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.”

Gage straightened and started pacing the hallway. “How soon can you get here?” He’d have to figure out living arrangements, but there was plenty of room in the farmhouse.

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