Page 58 of Burning Secrets

“I’m angry, sir. This is wrong. And I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner.”

The man stuck his hand out. “Mike.”

Crew met it. “Uh, Crew. Sterling.”

“Thanks, Crew, for trying to help. I suppose we could have waited until the authorities came out to test the soil, but the woman said that it could get into the soil, so we decided to burn.”

“Sorry about that. We’ll get authorities out here to test your soil as soon as we can. Until then, don’t let the cattle graze, and boil your water. Um…” He looked around. “Have you seen her—the woman? Her name is Jo.”

Mike frowned, looked past him, then to the house. “No. I do remember her talking to someone.” He turned back. “I don’t see him either.”

Crew stilled. “Can you describe him?”

“Sure. Big guy. He came up just when we brought in the cattle. Asked if we needed help. The woman—Jo?—was talking to Gordon. I went into the house to get Patty, and when I came out…yeah, I don’t remember seeing them.”

“Big guy,” Crew said, his throat closing. “Short dark-blond hair. Beard. Did you happen to see a snake tattoo on his neck?”

“Yeah, that’s him. Said he was driving by and saw the smoke.”

Crew couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow.

Couldn’t move.

“You okay, son?”

Maybe he nodded, he didn’t know. And somehow, he managed to turn around, to start running, to sort out his brains and find his voice by the time he reached Rio.

“What?” Rio said, rounding. “Crew, what’s going on—oh no.”

“Yes.” He grabbed his knees, breathing hard. “The SOR’s got her.” He stood up, looked at Crew. “Jeremiah took Jo.”

Then he walked over to the edge of the chopper, hung onto the tail, and lost it, right there on the poisoned earth.

TEN

She simply hadn’t seenit coming.

One minute she’d been talking to Gordon about the fire and what to do with the soil.

The next, a man had walked into the barn, his dark-blond hair cut short. He wore a beard, a friendly, hands-in-pocket posture, and smiled at the older man. “You got some trouble I can help with?”

He’d looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him, not in the shadows of the barn.

She’d thought maybe Gordon knew him. He’d shaken his hand and told him the fire crew had everything under control. Then the man turned to her, and said, “I know a couple firefighters.”

Which had her asking who he might know while Gordon walked away.

And the minute Gordon had left the barn,bam!

He’d slugged her. An explosion that had sent her careening, dazed, and she barely knew herself as he grabbed her arm, brought her to her feet.

And moments later, threw her into the back seat of his truck.

She lay in the well behind the seat, trying to clear her head. Her face felt shattered, the pain knocking against her brains, but she pushed up, grabbed the back of the seat.

Turned.

The farm sat a half mile away, getting smaller, the smoke rising to obscure it.

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